1973 Map of Sofia

About this map

Sante Fe Trail (Cimarron Cutoff) traces a historic westward path across the high plains of Union County in this early 1970s survey. The landscape is defined by the transition from the broad drainages of Cedar Creek and Gallegos in the north to the rising elevations of the Don Carlos Hills in the southwest. This era captures the remains of earlier transportation infrastructure, most notably the Old Railroad Grade that runs east-to-west through the small settlement of Sofia. The placement of the Sofia Cem near this corridor provides a specific point of interest for genealogists tracing families in this part of northeastern New Mexico. The map also records localized industrial activity, such as a Gravel Pit south of the main settlement, amid a landscape otherwise characterized by expansive grazing lands and a network of rural fence lines.