Loading map...

1968 Map of Mentone SW

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Mentone SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Ephemeral watercourses and ranching infrastructure define this section of the Trans-Pecos in the late 1960s. The landscape is dominated by a series of prominent drainage systems, including McCarty Draw, Smith Draw, and the extensive McIlvain Draw to the south. These features indicate the arid nature of the region, where water management was central to survival and industry.

Evidence of historical land use is found in the distribution of family-named and functional landmarks. The presence of numerous wells, such as the Simmons Windmill, Division Windmill, and Eightfoot Windmill, highlights the reliance on groundwater for livestock. The terrain also shows early signs of industrial expansion with several scattered Oil Well and Drill Hole locations, as well as a Gravel Pit in the northeast. Small, isolated labels like Grease provide unique local identifiers for researchers tracing the specific geography of Reeves County.