1968 Map of Rock Camp

About this map

The high plains of the Llano Estacado define this borderland where New Mexico meets the Texas Panhandle. In the late 1960s, the landscape was dominated by ranching infrastructure, evidenced by a network of family-named water sources and ranch sites. Landmarks like Brown Windmill, Peters Windmill, and Chandler Windmills provided vital water for livestock across the arid terrain. The map captures the remote operations of the Bowe Ranch and Purcell Ranch, alongside the localized headquarters at South Headquarters and the namesake Rock Camp. Drainage patterns are marked by seasonal features such as Arroyo del Puerto and Arroyo Trujillo, which cut through the level surface toward the more dramatic topography of Sand Point Draw. This survey serves as a precise record of the mid-century cattle economy and the specific placement of windmills that sustained it before modern irrigation shifts.