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1943 Map of West Carlsbad

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of West Carlsbad
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Pecos River and its western drainage system define this landscape of early 1940s Eddy County, where the desert flats meet the rising Guadalupe Mountains. This map documents a critical era of military and agricultural development, anchored by the Carlsbad Army Air Field and the irrigation infrastructure of Lake Avalon and Spencer Dam. Between the river and the peaks, a network of family ranches—including the Lovejoy Ranch, Denny Ranch, and Miller Ranch—highlights the ranching economy's reliance on scattered water sources like Kee Tank and Thayer Wells.

Subterranean features are prominent, with Boyds Cave, McKittrick Cave, and Rattlesnake Cave noted alongside landmarks like Carnero Peak. The industrial footprint of the time is visible at the Golden Eagle Mine and the small settlement of West Carlsbad. Evidence of earlier rural life persists at the Rocky Arroyo Sch and the ford at Barber Crossing, while the Carlsbad National Wildlife Refuge marks early conservation efforts along the river valley.