1931 Map of Orla

About this map

The Pecos River serves as a winding natural spine for this Trans-Pecos landscape, carving its way through the desert near the Texas-New Mexico Boundary Line. Topography compiled by Crawford Dickey and W.B. Brewer in the mid-1920s reveals a region defined by its arid drainage patterns and sparse rail-dependent settlements. The Panhandle and Santa Fe railroad cuts a straight path across the western terrain, passing through Angeles and providing the primary connection to the outside world for the local ranching economy. South of the river, Salt Draw drains toward the Olds Ranch, a named landmark that underscores the isolated nature of frontier life in Reeves Co and Loving Co. A significant portion of the lower sheet is designated as an Unsurveyed Area, reflecting the remoteness of the territory during this period of early aerial survey work by the Army Air Corps.