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1979 Map of Molesworth Mesa North

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Molesworth Mesa North
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

Molesworth Mesa defines the southern extent of this West Texas landscape, where the high ground drops away into a network of desert draws and cattle tanks. Surveyed in the late 1970s, the terrain reveals the infrastructure of remote ranching life, centered on water management and transportation. Significant outposts like Cornudas Ranch and Double U Ranch are the primary markers of human settlement in this arid environment.

Surface water is carefully directed and captured in features such as Snake Tank, Brown Tank, and the ironically named The Lake. The map details a sparse but vital network of improved and unimproved roads that trace the natural drainage of Hitson Draw and University Draw. Other signs of 20th-century development include a Landing Strip, a Pipeline, and isolated wells that speak to the industrial and agricultural efforts required to sustain operations in Hudspeth County.