1972 Map of Tejana Mesa

About this map

Tejana Mesa dominates this corner of Catron County, its high plateau flanked by deep erosional cuts and winding watercourses in the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by the high-desert cattle industry, centered on small outposts like the Chavez Ranch, Mesa Ranch, and El Porticito. Water management in this arid environment is evident through named infrastructure such as the Old Tejana Well and New Well, which served as vital lifeblood for remote ranching operations. Drainage patterns follow the natural contours of Tejana Draw and Lopez Draw, while Largo Creek winds through the southern reaches of the quadrangle. This survey captures a moment when the rugged interior of New Mexico was primarily the domain of family-run ranching estates and scattered watering holes before modern consolidation and development altered the rural footprint.