Loading map...

1937 Map of Rattlesnake

Name: 1937 Topographic Map of Rattlesnake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

The San Juan River carves a broad path across this high desert landscape, serving as the primary geographical anchor for the northwest corner of New Mexico during the mid-1930s. This survey, conducted by R.H. Reineck and R.A. Kiger, details a sparsely populated expanse of the Navajo Indian Reservation near the iconic Four Corners junction where Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico meet.

Evidence of desert life and intermittent water sources appear through extensive drainage systems like Tohache Wash and Red Wash, while the settlement of Rattlesnake stands near the southeastern corner. The map captures the meeting of the Mancos River and the San Juan, illustrating a time when the region's accessibility was defined by the rugged natural contours of the mesas and deep-cut arroyos like Arroyo Mansa.