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1921 Map of Monument Spring

Name: 1921 Topographic Map of Monument Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

The Del Norte Mountains and Santiago Mountains anchor this early 1920s topography of Brewster County, revealing a landscape defined by isolated ranching outposts and strategic water sources. The Southern Pacific System rail line cuts across the northern reaches, connecting the settlement of Lenox to the wider region. Below the peaks, a network of historic homesteads like the Old Payne Ranch, Bourland Ranch, and Combs Headquarters Ranch sit near vital desert water points such as Monument Spring and Simpson Springs.

Evidence of earlier frontier life is visible at Old Fort Pena Colorada and several sites marked as Ruins near Garden Springs. The map traces traditional travel routes heading toward distant Boquillas and Terlingua, following the natural corridors of Dugout Creek and Maravillas Creek. This survey reflects a pivotal era when the cattle industry relied heavily on these specific spring-fed nodes across the high desert floor.