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1972 Map of Small

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Small
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The Finlay Mountains dominate this Trans-Pecos landscape, where the rugged topography of West Texas meets the vital infrastructure of the early 1970s. The settlement of Small serves as a central point along a corridor defined by heavy transit, situated near the confluence of the Southern Pacific and Texas and Pacific railroads. This area preserves traces of earlier logistics through the Old Railroad Grade and an isolated Landing Strip, illustrating the region's reliance on both rail and air to traverse the desert expanse.

Water management is the defining human footprint here, evidenced by numerous catchments like Finlay Mountain Tank, Telephone Tank, and Oil Well Tank. These features, alongside drainage systems like Arroyo Balluco and Gardner Draw, highlight the necessity of water control for ranching operations such as Frost Ranch. The inclusion of a Quarry and various jeep trails suggests a landscape shaped by resource extraction and remote access.