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1921 Map of Monument Spring

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

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

Marathon and the surrounding Brewster County landscape are defined here by a network of cattle ranches and historic outposts just after the First World War. The cattle economy is evidenced by numerous family-named holdings such as Skinner Ranch, Arnold Ranch, and Bourland Ranch, which are connected by trails and the tracks of the Southern Pacific System. The presence of Old Fort Pena Colorada near the center of the sheet points to the region's earlier military history and the importance of permanent water sources like Pena Creek.

The terrain is dominated by the Del Norte Mountains and the Santiago Mountains, with prominent heights like Dugout Mtn and Black Peak rising above the basin. Water is the primary driver of settlement in this arid environment, marked by sites such as Sunshine Springs, Monument Spring, and the Ruins at Garden Springs. These features, along with the route toward the border at Boquillas, illustrate the trans-Pecos frontier's character during this era.