Loading map...

1981 Map of Yeso Mesa

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Yeso Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad bisects this high-desert landscape, defining the settlement patterns of De Baca County in the early 1980s. This corridor connects small trackside points like Cardenas and Buchanan, which served as vital links in the regional transportation network. The reliance on subterranean water in this arid environment is evident from the numerous scattered improvements, including Cardenas Well, Largo Well, and Clark Well.

Elevated terrain features like Yeso Mesa and the Yeso Hills rise above the surrounding flats, while local livestock operations are marked by sites such as Perez Ranch. This survey captures a moment when traditional ranching life and heavy rail infrastructure coexisted before the further modernization of rural New Mexico. The map provides a clear view of the fence lines and unimproved roads that networked these isolated outposts.