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1965 Map of Aztec NW

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Aztec NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

Palomas (Site) stands as a focal point of historical interest along the northern bank of the Gila River in this arid Yuma County landscape. The map captures an era of desert ranching and early irrigation, documented by the presence of the White Wing Ranch and a network of water management features including the Farmers Canal, Gila Ditch, and South Gila Ditch. These human interventions contrast with the natural topography of Hyder Valley and Park Valley, where shifting Sand Dunes and the seasonal flows of Baragan Wash shape the terrain.

Transportation through this remote corridor is defined by the Southern Pacific railroad line, which runs parallel to the Palomas Harquahala Road. For genealogists and local historians, the location of isolated landmarks such as Baragan Well, Howard Well, and unidentified Ruins near the river provides concrete evidence of early 20th-century habitation and the critical importance of water access in the Arizona desert.