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1972 Map of Mesa Draw

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Mesa Draw
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Eisenhart Hill and the high country of West Mesa define this landscape in Torrance County, where water management is the primary evidence of human industry. This early 1970s survey captures a sparse ranching environment dependent on a network of family-named landmarks and water sources. The terrain is deeply incised by drainages such as Goat Canyon, Chavez Draw, and Lion Canyon, with the broad expanse of Big Draw cutting through the central portion of the quadrangle.

Genealogists will find particular value in the presence of Cedar Grove Cem and Piñon Cem, isolated burial grounds that reflect the scattered nature of the local population. The map is heavily dotted with livestock infrastructure, including Baumgartner Tank, Mesa Tank, and several wells named for local families such as the Everhart Well and Shaw Well. This distribution of resources, from the Medders Tanks in the southwest to Viejo Well in the northeast, illustrates the careful spatial organization required to maintain life and livestock in this arid New Mexico region.