1959 Map of Presidio

About this map

The Chinati Mountains dominate this 1959 survey of the High Desert borderlands, rising sharply above the river valley. The Rio Grande serves as the international boundary, with small riverside settlements such as Indio, Adobes, and Redford punctuating the landscape. This era represents a period of quiet transition for Presidio County, where the mining legacy of the Shafter Mine and Last Chance Mine remains visible even as the regional economy shifted. Transport and logistics are central to the map's layout, showing the Orozimbo Siding and a Border patrol station near the historic Fort Leaton (site). Numerous unnamed Ranch labels and family-associated locations like Casa Piedra reflect a landscape defined by cattle and wide-ranging landholdings. In the southeast, the complex geology of Solitario Canyon begins to emerge, while the Cienega Mountains anchor the interior geography.