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1896 Map of Shafter

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Shafter
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The silver mining district of Shafter anchors this high-desert landscape in the late nineteenth century, situated in the rugged terrain between the Chinati Mountains and the Cienega Mountains. The presence of the Ross Mine and several other unnamed mine sites highlights the industrial focus of the era, while a network of isolated outposts like Cibolo Ranch, Loves Ranch, and Bishops Ranch reflects the deep-rooted ranching history of Presidio County.

To the south, the international boundary along the Rio Grande defines the cultural and geographic limit of the United States, connecting the border settlements of Presidio and Ojinaga. The map reveals a world dependent on intermittent water sources such as Spencer Spring and Cibolo Creek, where transport routes follow natural canyon passages and creek beds to reach the diverse network of family-named ranches scattered across the high plateau.