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1964 Map of Ninemile Hill

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Ninemile Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Lordsburg Mesa dominates this 1964 survey of the Hidalgo County landscape, characterized by a series of critical water sources essential for livestock and the railroad. The Southern Pacific line cuts across the southern portion of the sheet, supported by infrastructure like Railroad Well and Malpais Windmill. This network of wells, tanks, and windmills, including Wright Well and Cottonwood Well, reflects the practical engineering required to manage cattle and transport in this arid environment.

Prominent landmarks such as Ninemile Hill rise above the flat terrain, while the Box M Ranch serves as a primary center of human activity. The map reveals the era's reliance on specialized pits, including a Sandpit and several Borrow Pits, scattered near U.S. Route 70. This survey offers a clear view of the ranching and railway lifeblood that sustained the region before modern developments altered the water-management patterns of the southwestern desert.