1973 Map of Melrose SE

About this map

Spencer Ranch and Smart Ranch characterize the sparse, ranching-driven landscape of the high plains along the border of Curry and Roosevelt counties in the early 1970s. The terrain is marked by a wide distribution of wells, essential for livestock and agriculture in this arid region, and a local Gravel Pit near the southern boundary. Surveyed by photogrammetric methods in 1972 and field checked in 1973, the map shows a network of section lines and gravel roads, including Sun Dale Valley Rd, that connect isolated holdings. The placement of the Base Line across the southern portion of the quadrangle highlights the systematic rectangular survey structure that defined land ownership and navigation in Eastern New Mexico during this era.