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1970 Map of Morton SW

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Morton SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The High Plains landscape of Cochran County is defined here by the extensive industrial footprints of the Buckshot Oil Field and the Levelland and Slaughter Oil and Gas Field. These energy developments are etched across the terrain alongside the natural path of Sulphur Draw, which meanders through the central portion of the map. The spatial arrangement reveals a late-century intersection of ranching traditions and petroleum extraction, centered on the Masten Ranch near the center of the sheet.

Logistics and transport are anchored by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad corridor running along the northern edge. The map documents a high density of specialized infrastructure, including numerous Drill Holes, Gravel Pits, and Water Tanks that supported the local economy. This survey provides a precise record of the land use patterns in West Texas before further consolidation of the oil industry changed the rural layout.