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1969 Map of Wild Horse Canyon

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Wild Horse Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Isolated family outposts like Ward Ranch and Skelton Ranch define the settlement pattern of this West Texas landscape during the late 1960s. The terrain is deeply incised by a network of ephemeral watercourses including Wild Horse Canyon, Little Shaggy Canyon, and Taylor Box Draw, which channel runoff through the limestone plateaus. Evidence of the region’s economic reliance on ranching and energy extraction is scattered throughout the draws, noted by several Gas Well locations, a Sulphur Windmill, and a remote Landing Strip used for transportation across the expansive distances.

The topography transitions from the high ridges of Shaggy Canyon down to the southern basins of Jesus Draw and Bean Draw. While mostly characterized by open range, the presence of landmarks such as a Radio Tower and Phillips Ranch provides clear orientation points for researchers tracing the 20th-century development of Crockett County. This survey reflects a moment when traditional ranching life coexisted with the infrastructure of the modern Texas oil and gas industry.