Loading map...

1952 Map of Los Lunas

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Los Lunas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Rio Grande corridor south of Albuquerque is defined here by an intricate web of irrigation and drainage infrastructure designed to manage the river's fertile but unpredictable floodplain. By the mid-20th century, the landscape was a patchwork of Spanish land grants, including the Tome Grant and Lo de Padilla Grant, where traditional acequia systems like the Chical Ditch and Peralta Main Canal sustained agriculture alongside the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad.

Settlement patterns reveal a mix of historic villages and mid-century institutional developments. While Los Lunas and Peralta serve as primary hubs, the map also identifies the State Home and School for Mental Defectives and the New Mexico Penitentiary Farm. Local heritage is anchored by sites like St Anthony Church and the Chical Indian School, while the later addition of the Mid-Valley Airpark signals the post-war shift toward modern transportation and residential growth.