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1967 Map of Wright Ranch

Name: 1967 Topographic Map of Wright Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Wright Ranch and its surrounding water infrastructure define this high-desert landscape in De Baca County, where the management of scarce resources shaped local ranching life. The area is marked by a complex network of stock tanks and wells, including High Lonesome Windmill and family-named landmarks like Panama Martin Tank and Berts Well. These features were vital for survival in an environment where intermittent drainages like Ragland Draw, Indian Draw, and Burro Draw only briefly held water.

Ephemeral water bodies such as Dipping Vat Lake and Mail Carrier Lake indicate the practical necessities of livestock movement and regional mail delivery during this era. The presence of Six Windmills and specifically designated structures like Dunlap Camp Tank and Robertson Fence Tank provide genealogists and historians with a look at the specific land holdings and social organization of the New Mexico plains before modern consolidated ranching practices took hold.