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1966 Map of Ricardo

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Ricardo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Ricardo and the smaller siding of Evanola anchor this high-plains landscape in De Baca County, defined by the steady transit of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railway. The tracks cut a diagonal path through the southeastern terrain, supporting a local economy dependent on groundwater and ranching. The sheer number of named landmarks like Bertie Windmill, My Windmill, and the Railroad Windmill underscores the critical importance of water infrastructure for cattle and the steam-era rail heritage that built these settlements.

Genealogists will find value in the presence of the Morris Cem and Ricardo Cem, located near the principal townsite. Further north, the McMeans Ranch and a scatter of specialized sites like the Borrow Pit and Twin Wells illustrate the distribution of land use across this expansive territory during the mid-1960s. The map serves as a precise record of rural life where the railway and the windmill were the lifebloods of the community.