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1893 Map of Mesa De Maya

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Mesa De Maya
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

The canyonlands of southeastern Las Animas County are defined by the winding course of the Purgatoire River and the high plateaus of the Mesa De Maya. Surveyed in the early 1890s, this landscape shows the isolated ranching and rail outposts that preceded major modern development. The Denver Texas & Fort Worth railroad cuts across the southern edge of the sheet, serving small stops like Watervale.

Further north, the terrain breaks into an intricate network of drainages, including Chacuaco Canyon and Plumb Canyon. Named settlements are sparse, appearing as small hubs of activity in a high-desert environment, with Troy and Indianapolis positioned between the expansive mesas and the deep arroyos. The map also clearly delineates the Colorado New Mexico Boundary Line and distinctive landmarks such as the Black Buttes, providing a clear view of the region's topography before the mid-20th century.