1913 Map of Ballarat

About this map

The Panamint Range and the deep troughs of the Panamint Valley and Death Valley National Monument dominate this early twentieth-century survey of the California-Nevada borderlands. The map documents an era of intense resource extraction and remote settlement, centered on the mining hubs of Ballarat and Darwin. The Cerro Gordo Mines overlook the eastern shore of Owens Lake, where a Soda Works and the Southern Pacific railroad terminal at Keeler supported the regional economy. Beyond the primary towns, the landscape is dotted with isolated outposts like Skidoo, Harrisburg, and Hungry Bills Ranch. The presence of numerous water sources, such as Coso Hot Springs and Grapevine Pk springs, highlights the critical infrastructure required for survival in this arid environment. Industrial features like the Aqueduct Dam near Haiwee P O and various aerial tramways illustrate the engineering feats used to move water and ore through the basin and range province.