1978 Map of Rattlesnake Hill

About this map

Rattlesnake Hill rises as the central landmark in this high-plains landscape of Torrance County during the late 1970s. The topography is defined by the sweeping transition of the Estancia Valley, where the high desert floor is etched with subtle drainage patterns and occasional limestone outcrops. Transportation infrastructure is limited but vital, anchored by the diagonal corridor of the A T & S F railroad cutting across the northwest corner of the quadrangle. A pair of isolated Landing Strips in the northern reaches of the sheet points to the logistical importance of private aviation for ranching and utility access in this sparsely populated region. This survey captures a moment when the grid of township and range lines, such as the boundary between T 5 N and T 4 N, provided the primary structure for land management in the New Mexico interior.