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1943 Map of Organ Peak

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Organ Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The Organ Mountains dominate this 1941 survey of southern New Mexico, rising sharply above the desert floor of Dona Ana County. The map documents a transition from the agricultural and ranching heritage of the valley to the high peaks of Organ Needle and Organ Peak. Key landmarks of local development are visible, including the early campus of New Mexico State College and the mining outpost at Organ. Ranching life is extensively recorded through various homesteads such as the Will F. Isaacks Ranch and Dripping Spring Ranch, along with numerous isolated tanks and windmills essential for survival in the arid terrain.

Water management and scientific research define the western flats, where the Jornada Experimental Range and a system of flood controls like the North Fork Dam and South Fork Dam are mapped. For historians, the sheet preserves the location of commercial ventures like the Hayner Resort and industry at the Modoc Mine, while tracing the primary transit route along U.S. Route 70 as it crosses the San Augustin Pass.