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1892 Map of Mt Carrizo

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Mt Carrizo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1927
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1927

About this map

Mesa De Maya and the prominent Carrizo Mountain dominate this late-nineteenth-century landscape, where the high plains of southern Las Animas and Baca counties meet the territorial Colorado and New Mexico border. The map captures a high-desert environment defined by its water sources and dramatic topographical shifts, notably around Potato Butte and the extensive drainage systems of West Carrizo Creek.

A.H. Thompson and Willard D. Johnson oversaw this 1890 survey, which highlights the vital importance of isolated water points like Willow Spring and Carrizo Springs in an otherwise arid expanse. The intricate contour work illustrates the erosional patterns of Two Butte Creek and Mustang Creek, providing a detailed look at the canyons and mesas that shaped early travel and ranching boundaries before the turn of the century.