1953 Map of Lyden

About this map

Black Mesa Grant dominates this landscape in Rio Arriba County, defined by the convergence of the Rio Ojo Caliente and the Rio Grande. The settlement of Lyden sits tucked against the valley floor, where an intricate network of irrigation is evidenced by various labels for Ditch. The map illustrates a transitional geography between the flat-topped Black Mesa and the dissected canyonlands to the north, including Cañada del Cuervo and Cañada Ancha. Cultural landmarks of the early 1950s are preserved here, such as the Torreon Indian Shop along the Kit Carson Highway. Significant land grant divisions are clearly delineated, tracing the historical property lines of the Antonio De Abeyta Grant Boundary and the Sebastian Martin Grant Boundary, which provide essential context for understanding the region's colonial and territorial era property patterns.