1965 Map of Windmill Draw

About this map

The Pecos River cuts through this high desert landscape, defining the hydrological and social character of the region in the mid-1960s. Water management is central to the area's layout, anchored by the Alamogordo Res in the northwest and the intricate engineering of the Fort Sumner Diversion Dam and Fort Sumner Main Canal in the south. These features supported a ranching economy visible through named homesteads like York Ranch, Walton Ranch, and Brassel Ranch. Numerous scattered windmills, including North Windmill and the Winter Horse Pasture Windmill, indicate the necessity of groundwater for livestock in this arid terrain. The map also records several unnamed Ruins along Windmill Draw and the riverbanks, suggesting earlier periods of habitation or seasonal use near landmarks like Pacheco Bluff.