1917 Map of Santiago Peak

About this map

Santiago Peak anchors this Big Bend-area landscape, serving as a primary landmark in a region defined by high desert ranching and prominent geologic formations. Surveyed in 1917, the sheet documents a remote network of cattle operations including the Buttrill Ranch, Combs Cattle Co Ranch, and Schuler Ranch, illustrating the sparse but vital settlement pattern of Brewster County before modern development. The central Santiago Mountains and Cochran Mountains dictate the flow of ephemeral watercourses like Chalk Draw and Maravillas Creek. The presence of Maravillas Gap and named passes like Paso del Norte highlight the historical travel corridors used by early travelers moving toward Marathon or Boquillas. This mapping effort, led by topographic engineers C.H. Birdseye and Glenn S. Smith, provides an intricate view of the land as it was managed during the early twentieth-century ranching era.