1951 Map of Mt. Riley

About this map

Volcanic cones and desert ranchlands dominate this borderlands landscape, surveyed originally in 1917. The massive forms of Mt Riley and the flanking West Potrillo Mountains and East Potrillo Mts rise abruptly from the basin floor. Human presence is sparse, centered on the Phillips Ranch and Cox Ranch, where Cox Tank provides a critical water source in the arid Chihuahuan Desert terrain. Along the southern edge of the sheet, the international boundary between the United States and Mexico is clearly delineated, marked by Monument 41 and the line separating New Mexico from the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The southern corridor is also defined by the infrastructure of the El Paso and Southwestern railroad, which skirts the base of the mountains as it traverses the border region. Further south, Guzmans Lookout Mtn stands as a prominent landmark near the international line, reflecting the area's history as a vantage point overlooking the southern plains.