1919 Map of Playas

About this map

The El Paso and Southwestern railroad cuts a straight horizontal path across this arid New Mexico landscape, anchoring the small settlement of Playas. This 1917–1918 survey illustrates a high-desert environment where water and transport dictate human presence. The massive Playas Lake dominates the central valley, a seasonal feature flanked by the steep elevations of the Animas Mountains to the west. Evidence of early ranching and travel through the mountain gaps is preserved here, most notably at Whitmire Ranch and the nearby Whitmire Pass. Small stops like Antelope further mark the rail line, while the political boundary between Hidalgo and Grant County runs through the eastern flats. The map captures a moment when this borderland region relied heavily on the railway for its connection to the outside world.