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1904 Map of Terlingua

Name: 1904 Topographic Map of Terlingua
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

The Rio Grande carves a dramatic international border through this remote Big Bend landscape, documented shortly after the turn of the century. The map centers on the mining and ranching activity of the region, anchored by the mining community of Terlingua and the nearby Colquitt-Tigner Mine. The terrain is dominated by the massive circular geological formation known as the Solitario in the west and the towering cliffs of Santa Elena Canyon to the south.

Local history is preserved through numerous family-named landmarks such as Madrid Ranch, Drydens Ranch, and Reed Ranch, which highlight the sparse but vital settlement pattern of early Brewster and Presidio Counties. A Telephone Line connects the distant outposts of Lajitas and Terlingua Abaja, while numerous desert springs like Comanche Spring and Sauceda Spring provided the essential water sources that dictated the placement of camps and homesteads throughout this arid frontier.