1955 Map of Strauss

About this map

The Southern Pacific railroad corridor dominates this high-desert landscape near the border, anchoring a series of small outposts and rail-stop settlements. At Strauss, the rail line angles through a series of dramatic contour shifts as it approaches the Mesilla Valley and the prominent rising terrain of Santa Teresa. The settlement of Orange and the Santa Nina Ch represent the localized agrarian and community life near the New Mexico-Texas boundary line, where water management via the La Union Canal and West Drain was essential for cultivation. Further south, an Old Railroad Grade and isolated labels like Mastodon and Lizard mark the sparse, arid reaches leading down to the international border with Mexico.