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1929 Map of Mt. Riley

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Mt. Riley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Mt Riley and the volcanic clusters of the West Potrillo Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape surveyed during the first World War. This borderland region in Dona Ana County illustrates the stark isolation of the Chihuahuan Desert before modern expansion. The southern edge of the map follows the international boundary between the United States and Mexico, marked by a physical Monument.

Logistics in this arid terrain are defined by the El Paso and Southwestern railroad, which cuts across the southern flats to connect the distant ranching outposts. Isolated life is centered around Phillips Ranch and Cox Ranch, while essential water sources like Cat Tank provide the only reprieve in a landscape of cinder cones and prominent peaks like Guzmans Lookout Mtn. The topography reveals a rugged geology where the East Potrillo Mountains form a distinct spine near the Mexican border.