1964 Map of Mc Kenna Peak

About this map

Bassinet Homestead and the Heldman Homestead sit as isolated outposts in this 1964 topographic study of the high canyon country along the San Miguel and Dolores County line. The landscape is dominated by the massive rise of McKenna Peak and the surrounding Spring Creek Basin, where the drainage network flows into the aptly named Disappointment Creek. Evidence of early 20th-century water management is visible in the network of irrigation works including Custer Ditch, Desert Claim Ditch, and Custer Dam, supporting life in an arid region defined by deep draws like Pony Draw and Cocklebur Draw. This map records a time when ranching and land claims relied on these fragile water sources and remote Jeep Trails to navigate the plateau country between Bassinet Point and Brumley Point.