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1956 Map of San Lorenzo

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of San Lorenzo
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

San Lorenzo and San Juan anchor the lower Mimbres Valley in this mid-century survey, a landscape defined by the drainage network of the Mimbres River and East Fork Mimbres River. The terrain transitions from the valley floor into the steep reaches of the Gila National Forest, where the Black Range forms a high eastern barrier. This area was a hub of resource extraction, evidenced by the concentration of high-altitude mining operations such as the Rose Mine, Columbia Mine, and the Grandview Mines near Sawyers Peak.

Logistics across this complex geography relied on a system of pack trails and jeep tracks, notably crossing the range at Emory Pass. The map details numerous water sources essential for both mining and livestock, including Cold Springs, Hot Springs, and Mud Springs. From the peak of Hillsboro Peak to the depths of Gallinas Canyon, the sheet captures the intersection of early New Mexico ranching and the persistent search for mineral wealth in the canyon systems of Grant Co and Sierra Co.