1917 Map of Santiago Peak

About this map

Santiago Peak anchors this 1917 survey of the West Texas landscape, showing a region defined by isolated cattle operations and seasonal watercourses. The map documents the early 20th-century ranching footprint in Brewster County, identifying family-named sites such as Buttrill Ranch, Schuler Ranch, and the Combs Cattle Co Ranch. These outposts are linked by rudimentary tracks leading toward distant hubs like Marathon and Terlingua. The topographic detail reveals a complex network of drainage systems, including Chalk Draw, Calamity Creek, and Maravillas Creek, which carve through the high elevations of the Santiago Mountains and Cochran Mountains. The prominence of Black Mtn and the flat-topped E Mesa illustrate the dramatic vertical relief that dictated the movement of livestock and travelers through this arid territory before modern infrastructure arrived.