1945 Map of Bagdad

About this map

The settlement of Bagdad serves as a focal point for this mid-1940s landscape, which reveals a rugged high-desert economy driven by intensive mineral extraction. Numerous operations including the Old Dick Mine, Copper King Mine, and Black Pearl Mine are shown throughout the terrain, linked to the town by a network of drainage-following roads like those in Maroney Gulch and Crosby Gulch. The mapping illustrates the reliance on localized water sources in this arid environment, evidenced by dozens of named tanks and springs such as Hardy-Schell Tank, Tod Reese Tank, and Cypress Spr. Beyond the industrial centers, the land transitions into the Prescott National Forest and expansive mesa country, where isolated outposts like Bozarth Ranch and SH Ranch mark the cattle-raising presence in the territory. This survey documents the specific canyon-and-plateau geography of the region before significant modern expansion, highlighting the relationship between the copper-rich geology and the development of local infrastructure.