1971 Map of Wheeler Ranch

About this map

Fernandes Ranch and Wheeler Ranch anchor this West Texas landscape during the early 1970s, where the expansion of the energy industry meets traditional ranching. The northern reaches are dominated by the Keystone Se Oil Field, a dense network of extraction marked by numerous Oil Wells and a complex system of Pipelines and Aqueducts. This industrial footprint is overlaid upon a desert environment defined by vast stretches of Shifting Sand, where survival depends on a series of isolated water sources like Fifteen Windmill, Coyote Windmill, and New Windmill. The presence of multiple Drill Holes suggests ongoing subterranean exploration across the terrain, while the simple Jeep Trail and Blockline Road provide the primary means of navigation through the dunes and oil patches.