1959 Map of Riley

About this map

Riley stands as a focal point of this New Mexico landscape, situated where the high desert terrain meets the intermittent waters of the Rio Salado. Based on 1956 aerial photography and a 1959 field check, the survey documents a region defined by ranching and vast public lands, with the Cibola National Forest boundary cutting across the southwestern quadrant. The drainage patterns of Coyote Draw and Mariano Draw illustrate the arid geography of Socorro County, feeding into the wider river valley. Remote outposts like the Lazy C Bar J Ranch and isolated water sources such as Tortola Spring and Silver Creek provide essential markers for understanding the settlement and land-use history of this high-altitude basin before the expansion of modern infrastructure.