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1958 Map of Pursley House

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Pursley House
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1992
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1992

About this map

Pursley House serves as a lonely landmark in this arid reach of the Rolling Plains, where the intersection of four Texas counties—Dickens, King, Kent, and Stonewall—meets among a labyrinth of erosional breaks. The landscape is defined by the drainage of Croton Creek and an intricate network of named draws including Dark Canyon, Getaway Canyon, and the curious North Pole Canyon. Life in this environment at the end of the 1950s was sustained by isolated outposts like the Beggs Ranch (Headquarters) and the Keller Field Camp.

Water management is the primary human imprint on the terrain, evidenced by a dense distribution of named infrastructure. Ranching operations relied on scattered improvements such as Sullivan Windmill, White Face Windmill, and Hill and Hill Wells to provide for livestock across the broken country. A single Jeep Trail provides the only significant passage through the northern canyons, highlighting the area's specialized use for cattle and resource extraction during this era.