1949 Map of Peters Lake

About this map

Walker Air Base Auxiliary Landing Field No 1 and Walker Air Base Auxiliary Landing Field No 3 anchor this New Mexico landscape during the post-war expansion of military aviation. The terrain is defined by the ephemeral hydrology of Thirteenmile Draw and Zubi Draw, leading toward the small catchment of Peters Lake. A sparse but distinct pattern of ranching and early settlement is evident through family-named landmarks like Jenkins Ranch and the Loving Place (Aban'd). The map also records the vital necessity of water in this arid environment, noting numerous groundwater sources such as Peters Well and Brown Bros Well. Several sites, including the Blackdom Well (Aban'd) and Higgs Well (Aban'd), are already marked as abandoned by the late 1940s, reflecting the shifting fortunes of homesteading in Chaves County.