1913 Map of Ballarat

About this map

The high desert landscape of Death Valley and the surrounding ranges is documented here just before the era of modern desert tourism. The map captures a mining economy in transition, where established operations like the Cerro Gordo Mine and Modoc Mine supported settlements like Keeler and Darwin. To the west, Owens Lake appears as a significant body of water before extensive diversion, with the Southern Pacific railroad skirting its eastern shore to serve the Soda Works. Remote outposts such as Skidoo, Harrisburg, and Ballarat anchor the rugged Panamint Valley and Grapevine Mountains, while isolated sites like Indian Ranch and Hungry Bills Ranch represent the sparse agricultural attempts in the arid basins. This survey provides a precise record of water sources essential for survival, from Stovepipe Wells to Emigrant Spring, marking the vital infrastructure of the early 20th-century California desert.