Loading map...

1963 Map of Ligon Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Ligon Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

The Pecos River carves the northern boundary of this West Texas landscape, where the borders of Ward, Reeves, and Pecos counties converge. During the early 1960s, this arid terrain was defined by the infrastructure of the West Waha Oil Field, characterized by a network of drill holes and unimproved roads. The presence of the Automotive Proving Ground in the southwest corner indicates the region's utility for wide-scale industrial testing, taking advantage of the expansive, open flats.

Water management is the primary marker of human habitation here, evidenced by numerous remote sources such as River Well, West Well, and Alberts Well. Small livestock operations like Burkholder Ranch and Ligon Ranch are situated near ephemeral drainage features like Blake Draw and Hackberry Draw. This map captures a transition period where traditional ranching coexisted with the intensive mid-century expansion of the Texas petroleum industry.