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1953 Map of San Juan Pueblo

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of San Juan Pueblo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The Old San Juan First Spanish Capitol 1598 stands as a landmark of colonial history near the confluence of the Rio Grande and Rio Chama. This early 1950s survey documents a landscape defined by centuries-old land grants, including the Sebastian Martin Grant and the San Juan Pueblo Grant. The region’s spiritual and communal life is reflected in its numerous mission-style chapels, such as Capilla de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe in Los Luceros and Capilla de San Antonio in Alcalde.

Agricultural patterns are clearly visible through an extensive network of irrigation features like the Ditch systems, siphons, and flumes that draw from the river valleys. The transition from older transport to modern infrastructure is marked by an Old Railroad Grade running parallel to the Rio Grande, while settlements such as Hernandez, San Jose, and Chamita are bounded by the dramatic rise of Black Mesa to the west. This map provides an essential record of Tewa and Spanish heritage within the Santa Clara Indian Reservation and surrounding Rio Arriba communities.