1955 Map of White Sands SE

About this map

Tularosa Valley defines the arid character of this desert landscape, where the vast extent of federal landholdings dominates the local geography. This survey, based on 1955 photography and updated in the mid-1990s, centers on the intersection of the Fort Bliss Military Reservation and the White Sands Missile Range Mil Res Bdy. The terrain is marked by sparse infrastructure, including a legacy Telephone line and a Trans Line that traverse the basin floor. Isolated Ruins provide a rare glimpse of earlier habitation or former military activity in a region otherwise characterized by natural landforms and military boundaries. The map illustrates the specialized land use of the Cold War era, where vast stretches of New Mexico were dedicated to aerospace and military testing.