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1939 Map of Sanford

Name: 1939 Topographic Map of Sanford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

The Canadian River cuts a deep diagonal through the Panhandle landscape, where high plains give way to the complex drainage of McBride Canyon and Mortons Canyon. Surveyed in the mid-1930s, this area reflects the intersection of traditional Texas ranching and the burgeoning petroleum industry. The small community of Sanford sits near the river, while the presence of Oil City to the northeast highlights the regional energy boom that transformed the territory during this era.

Evidence of established land use is visible in the numerous family-named holdings like Bost Ranch, Record Ranch, and Bennett Ranch, which are distributed among the tributaries of Antelope Creek and Big Creek. Transportation and commerce are anchored by the Chicago Rock Island and Gulf RR, which runs through Fritch and connects the rural ranchlands to larger markets. This geography reveals a world where nomadic river paths and deep canyons still dictated the placement of camps like Bivins Camp and the routes of the Borger Road.