1972 Map of McAllen Ranch

About this map

The Mc Allen Ranch area of Hidalgo County is defined by a dense network of water infrastructure and energy extraction essential to this arid South Texas landscape. In the early 1970s, the terrain was heavily marked by the Oil and Gas Field and a labyrinth of pipelines feeding into a central Gas Plant and Pumping Station. Ranching operations are evidenced by a series of named windmills—including Los Indios Windmill, Santa Maria Windmill, and San Ignacio Windmill—which provided the critical water supply for livestock and settlement. Genealogy researchers will find the Guadalupe Toreros Cem in the northwest, while the presence of the Landing Strip near the ranch headquarters underscores the industrial and logistical requirements of managing such a remote and specialized operation. The map also records unique hydrological features like the Santa Monica Well (Flowing), suggesting the subsurface pressures of the region during this era.