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1903 Map of Terlingua

Name: 1903 Topographic Map of Terlingua
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Rio Grande carves a dramatic international border through the high desert of the Big Bend region, defined by the towering walls of Santa Elena Canyon. At the start of the 20th century, this landscape was transitioning from a ranching frontier to a mining powerhouse, anchored by the Colquitt-Tigner Mine and the mercury prospecting around Study Butte and Terlingua. The map reveals a network of isolated outposts such as Howards Ranch and Crenshaws Camp, connected by rugged paths like the Telephone Trail.

Water sources are the lifeblood of this arid environment, marked by numerous tinajas and springs like Comanche Spring and Tinaja Blanca. The settlement of Terlingua Abaja sits near the confluence of Terlingua Creek, while the circular geological structure of the Solitario Peak dominates the northwest. This survey documents the era when family-named ranches and remote river crossings like Lajitas formed the backbone of Brewster County's borderlands.