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1966 Map of Mabee Ranch

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Mabee Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Mabee Oil Field dominates this mid-1960s landscape along the border of Andrews and Martin counties. The terrain is defined by the industrial infrastructure of the Texas oil boom, featuring a dense network of pipelines, an aqueduct, and a pumping station that support petroleum extraction. Scattered across the plains are numerous oil wells and exploratory drill holes, illustrating the intensive subsurface surveying of the era.

Away from the industrial activity, the eponymous Mabee Ranch represents the traditional ranching heritage of the region, situated amidst the wide-open West Texas topography. Small-scale resource extraction is also visible at local gravel pits, which likely provided material for the maintenance of the service roads required to reach the numerous well sites. This map provides a detailed view of a landscape transitioning from cattle ranching to a heavy energy production economy.