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1971 Map of Noelke

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Noelke
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The Mertzon Oil Field and its accompanying refinery dominate the eastern landscape of this Irion County territory, documenting a peak era of petroleum extraction in West Texas. The infrastructure of the energy industry is highly detailed, showing a network of gas wells, an oil well, and a pipeline that cuts across the terrain. Transportation in the region is anchored by the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad, which follows the path of Spring Creek near the settlement of Noelke.

Resource management for cattle ranching is evident through the naming of numerous water sources, including the uniquely labeled Jehovahs Witnesses Waterhole and Clay Waterhole. The map also identifies several family-named landmarks and essential ranching structures like the Carter Windmill, Upper Vinson Windmill, and Wilson Windmill. These features, alongside prominent elevations such as High Point Hill and Monument Hill, provide a clear picture of the mixed industrial and agricultural life of the early 1970s.