1949 Map of Sardine Mountain

About this map

El Camino Del Diablo cuts across this high-desert landscape in Chaves County, marking a route through a region defined by scattered water improvements and seasonal basins. In the late 1940s, this area supported modest ranching operations, as evidenced by numerous named watering points such as Morning Glory Tank, Antelope Tank, and Jackson Well. The topography is dominated by the Armstrong Basin in the south and Sardine Mountain in the northwest, with a distinct Diabase Dike cutting through the center of the sheet. Evidence of mid-century military activity is visible at the Air Force Bombing Range (Aband) near Alkali Lake. Other specialized features like the Race Track Well and the abandoned Morrisey Well suggest the shifting footprint of human activity in this arid corridor.