1955 Map of Sonsela Buttes

About this map

Sonsela Buttes rise prominently above the high-desert landscape of the Navajo Indian Reservation, straddling the border of Arizona and New Mexico. This mid-century topographical record details a transition from the elevated Tunitcha Mountains in the north to the distinctive geological formations of Canyon De Chelly National Monument in the west. The presence of the Chee Dodge Ranch and settlements like Lower Wheatfields illustrates the localized grazing and ranching culture of the era. Water management is a central theme of this landscape, evidenced by systems like the ditch near Wheatfields Lake and scattered reservoirs and springs that supported life across Prairie Dog Valley and Yellow Valley. Small but significant details, including isolated graves and a gaging station on Whisky Creek, provide points of interest for genealogists and local historians.