1970 Map of Ranger Lake

About this map

Ranger Lake anchors this High Plains landscape in Lea County, New Mexico, during the early 1970s. The survey reveals an environment defined by ranching and petroleum extraction, where water is the most critical resource. A network of specific named windmills, including Bull Windmill, Mixon Windmill, and North Pasture Windmill, indicates a highly managed grazing territory. The presence of Royal suggests a localized hub in an otherwise open expanse, while the distribution of Oil Wells across the northern sections shows the encroaching industrial layer of the Permian Basin. This map captures the intersection of traditional land use and modern energy development, marked by infrastructure like a Radio Tower and Gravel Pit near the lake’s edge.