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1959 Map of Nageezi

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Nageezi
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Nageezi and the surrounding high desert terrain in San Juan County were defined by the burgeoning energy industry of the late 1950s. This survey, based on 1955 aerial photography, reveals the extensive infrastructure of the San Juan Basin Gas Field and Blanco Gas Field. Numerous oil wells and gas wells dot the mesa tops and canyon floors, connected by the Largo Compressor Station and its associated pipelines.

The landscape is dominated by massive flat-topped features like Thompson Mesa, Mesa Smouse, and Mesa Superior, which are deeply dissected by complex drainages including Largo Canyon and Blanco Wash. Isolated human activity is evidenced by Truby Ranch and the small settlement of Nageezi near the southwestern corner. Historical landmarks such as Dufers Point and Crow Lake provide orientation points in a territory where natural drainage systems like Cibolo Draw and Rockhouse Canyon dictated the movement of early ranchers and surveyors.