Loading map...

1955 Map of Smeltertown

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Smeltertown
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Rio Grande serves as both a literal and political boundary in this mid-century portrait of the borderlands where Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico, converge. To the east, the Franklin Mountains rise sharply above the expanding industrial and residential landscape of El Paso. This area is defined by a complex irrigation network including the Montoya Main Lateral and Nemexas Drain, which supported the valley's agricultural transition.

Industrial hubs like Smeltertown and Courchesne are documented alongside community anchors such as Texas Western College and St Marys Sch. Transportation routes are heavily influenced by the rugged terrain, with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and Southern Pacific railroads threading through the pass. Local recreational and social sites like the Sunland Park Racetrack and El Paso Country Club mark the era's suburban development between the river and the mountain slopes.