1985 Map of Mount Livermore

About this map

Valentine stands as a primary outpost in this high-altitude landscape of Far West Texas, where the high desert of Wild Horse Valley meets the volcanic heights of the Davis Mountains. The 1980s infrastructure recorded here highlights the area’s scientific and logistical importance, anchored by the McDonald Observatory perched near Mount Locke. The Southern Pacific railroad creates a rigid transit corridor through the flats, linking small trackside points like Lobo and Chispa against the backdrop of the Van Horn Mountains. In the southern reaches, the Sierra Vieja range overlooks the winding course of the Rio Grande, which serves as the international boundary. This map preserves a transition in land use, from the cattle ranching heritage evident in named draws like Bunton Draw and Tally Slough to the prominent astronomical research facilities on the eastern peaks.