1896 Map of Ruidosa

About this map

The Rio Grande carves the international boundary through this remote West Texas landscape, as surveyed by C.C. Bassett in the late nineteenth century. Small river-side outposts like Ruidosa and Roderigo mark the edge of the Chinati Mountains, which rise sharply to the east of the water. The map illustrates a sparse settlement pattern typical of the Big Bend region, where life centered on the river and its infrequent tributaries like Spencer Creek. To the south, Spencer's Ranch and Indio appear as isolated sites of habitation along the United States Mexico Boundary Line. This topography reveals the rugged isolation of Presidio County before modern infrastructure reached the borderlands, with travel restricted to the canyon floors of Pinto Canyon and San Antonio Canyon.