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1952 Map of Bard

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Bard
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Colorado River and its complex irrigation network define this desert landscape where California and Arizona meet. In the early 1950s, the All American Canal and various reservation mains carved a path through the Gila Valley, supporting local agriculture and settlements like Bard and Ross Corner. The transition from the rugged Choco Mountains in the north to the fertile river bottomlands is stark, showing the intensive land management within the Yuma Indian Reservation.

Genealogists and local researchers will find landmarks of a past community, including the Riverside School and the site of the Indian School Farm. Near the confluence with the Gila River, the map identifies the Potholes (Site) and the Laguna Sch (Aban'd), marking locations of early development that had already changed or moved by this era. Water bodies like Haughtelin Lake and Bard Lake sit along the meandering state boundary, highlighting the historical shifts of the river channel.