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1956 Map of Baldy Mesa

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Baldy Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Baldy Mesa stands as a prominent geographic feature in this high-desert landscape of San Bernardino County, where the transition from the Mojave Desert toward the San Gabriel Mountains is documented in the mid-1950s. The map illustrates a period of sparse but established ranching life, evidenced by several family-named properties like Yucca Forest Ranch, Patterson Ranch, and Warner Ranch. These holdings are connected by a network of early desert thoroughfares, including Phelan Road and Caughlin Road, which navigate the various drainage patterns of the Oro Grande Wash and Manzanita Wash.

Transport and industry are represented by the Southern Pacific railroad cutting through the terrain, while the southern boundary marks the beginning of the San Bernardino National Forest. This survey captures the region just before the significant suburban expansion of the late 20th century, showing a landscape still defined by ranching, open mesas, and water management infrastructure like the scattered Water Tank sites.