1979 Map of Sasabe

About this map

The Arizona Sonora border defines the character of this late-1970s topographical record, where the international boundary between the United States and Mexico cuts sharply across the desert floor. The small community of Sasabe serves as a focal point, anchored by the U.S. Customs station and connected to the north by Highway 286. This landscape is one of intermittent water and isolated ranching outposts, including the sprawling Rancho de la Osa and the distant Garcia Ranch to the southeast. The terrain rises to the west into the Pozo Verde Mts, while the lowlands are carved by the Arroyo del Sasabe and La Osa Wash. These ephemeral watercourses and scattered improvements like La Osa Tank reflect the necessity of water management in a region where cattle ranching and international transit were the primary drivers of settlement and activity.