Loading map...

1958 Map of Tularosa

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Tularosa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The Rio Grande corridor anchors this mid-century survey, flowing through the heart of Southern New Mexico into the sprawling Elephant Butte Reservoir. The landscape is dominated by the vast, arid expanse of the Jornada Del Muerto and the sharp rises of the San Mateo Mountains and the Black Range. This era captures the transition of the region into a major military and scientific hub, with the White Sands Proving Ground and the Alamogordo Bombing Range occupying significant portions of the high desert.

Local history is preserved in the form of several vanished settlements and remote landmarks, including the San Marcial ruins and Val Verde ruins along the river. Genealogists and researchers can trace the movement of people via the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Ry and explore small communities like Winston, Chloride, and Monticello tucked into the mountain canyons. From the Continental Divide in the west to the dunes of White Sands National Monument in the east, the map reveals a complex geography of national forests, wildlife refuges, and early post-war infrastructure.