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1953 Map of Los Gigantes Buttes

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Los Gigantes Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Navajo Indian Reservation lands in northeastern Arizona are documented here during a period of transition in the early 1950s. The landscape is defined by the massive sandstone formations of Los Gigantes Buttes and the towering heights of the Carrizo Mountains and Lukachukai Mountains. Human presence is concentrated near water sources and travel routes, notably at the Lukachukai Trading Post and the settlement of Round Rock.

Evidence of ancient and modern activity appears side-by-side, from a marked Ruin near a high ridge to a modern Mine operation tucked into the complex canyon systems. The mapping reveals a dependence on traditional water sources like Hasbidito Spr and the drainage of Hasbidito Creek, while Alcove Canyon and Cove Mesa illustrate the dramatic relief of the Colorado Plateau. This survey, based on 1950 aerial photography, captures the interior of the reservation just before more extensive modern infrastructure was established.