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1953 Map of Medanales

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Medanales
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The Juan Jose Lobato Grant defines the layout of this high-desert landscape in northern New Mexico, where the Rio Chama carves a fertile valley through otherwise arid terrain. Life in the mid-20th century centered on the small village of Medanales, anchored by the San Antonio Church. The settlement pattern follows the river, with various ditches and canals diverted to support agriculture at sites like the Quarter Circle Ranch.

Rising above the river valley is the expansive Llano De Juan Jose, a high mesa dissected by numerous seasonal drainages including Arroyo de Agua and Cañada de Lemitas. To the north, the terrain climbs toward the Carson National Forest boundary, marked by landmarks such as Lagunitas. The map documents a traditional rural economy where water access dictated the placement of every windmill and tank in an environment dominated by naming conventions of the Spanish colonial land grant system.