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1965 Map of Puertecito Gap

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Puertecito Gap
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Magdalena Mountains dominate the central topography of this mid-1960s survey, bisected by the prominent ridge of the Devils Backbone. The landscape is a study in arid-land ranching and resource extraction, where the survival of operations like the V L Ranch and Rienhardt Ranch depended on a network of scattered water sources. Numerous labeled basins and wells, including Poniente Tank, Puertecito Well, and Escondido Tank, trace the efforts to sustain livestock across the desert floor.

Evidence of prospecting is visible near Puertecito Gap, where several unnamed Prospects and a Mine are recorded, suggesting a history of mineral exploration in the canyons. The complex drainage systems of Milligan Gulch and Puertecito Arroyo define the alluvial plains below the peaks of Bern Peak and Horse Mountain, providing a clear record of the geographic challenges faced by early settlers and ranchers in this part of Socorro County.