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1972 Map of Sterling City NW

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

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

The West Texas landscape of Sterling County is defined by a network of ephemeral watercourses and early 1970s energy infrastructure in this quadrangle. The northern reaches are carved by North Gasconade Creek, where multiple points marked simply as Spring indicate the vital natural water sources in this semi-arid region. To the south, the terrain descends into the broad Mackenzie Draw and the more confined Cox Hollow, illustrating the drainage patterns that have historically dictated land use and ranching boundaries in the area.

Evidence of the local economy is scattered throughout the map, from the extraction seen at the Gravel Pit to the widespread presence of Pipelines cutting across the mesas. For those tracing family ranching history, the map preserves specific localized landmarks such as the Garrett Windmill and Elliott Well, which represent the essential improvements required to maintain livestock on this high-plains terrain during the mid-20th century.