1971 Map of Avondale SW

About this map

The Sierra Estrella mountains dominate the eastern skyline of this 1971 orthophotomosaic, casting long shadows over the desert floor where the Gila River cuts through the northern reaches. This aerial perspective, captured by the Geological Survey, reveals a stark transition between the arid, drainage-scarred lowlands and the structured geometry of early 1970s agriculture. The southern half of the map shows a developed grid of irrigated fields that abruptly meet the desert scrub at the base of the mountains. Seasonal drainages like Waterman Wash and Corgett Wash wind across the landscape, illustrating the natural flow patterns that dictated the placement of early Maricopa County homesteads and farms before more intensive suburban expansion reached this part of the valley.