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1963 Map of Schmitz Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Schmitz Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

The Jicarilla Apache Indian Reservation encompasses much of this 1960s terrain, where the San Juan Basin gas field begins to reveal its industrial footprint. High plateau features like Wild Horse Mesa and B S Mesa dominate the skyline, while a network of pipelines and gas wells follows the natural contours of the land. Evidence of ranching and early energy exploration is scattered throughout the drainages, notably at Schmitz Ranch and Ojito Camp.

Deep canyons such as Cañon de los Ojitos and Bull Well Canyon cut through the high ground, providing topographic relief to an otherwise arid landscape. The map captures a transition period in Rio Arriba County history, where traditional land use at places like Tapicito exists alongside the growing infrastructure of oil wells and drill holes that would define the region's economy for decades to come.