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1970 Map of Prairieview NE

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Prairieview NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The High Plains landscape along the border of New Mexico and Texas is defined here by a network of ranching infrastructure and petroleum extraction in the early 1970s. The terrain is notably marked by numerous windmills, many bearing family or local names such as Floyd Windmill, North Townsend Windmill, and Rogers Windmill, which illustrate the essential role of groundwater in this arid region. Near the western edge, Murphys Chapel Cem serves as a small but significant landmark for local history and genealogy researchers tracking early settlement patterns in Lea County.

Industrial activity is concentrated within the Bronco Field, where oil and gas wells are interspersed with numerous gravel pits. The transportation and utility network is anchored by the Old Lovington Road and a prominent pipeline corridor that cuts through the western sections. These features, combined with scattered storage bins and a central substation, document a landscape that balanced traditional cattle ranching with the growing demands of the energy sector.