Loading map...

1958 Map of Benson

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Benson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Benson serves as a critical junction for the Southern Pacific RR and U.S. Route 80, anchored by the flow of the San Pedro River to its east. This late 1950s survey captures the community as it expanded near Lake Iris, featuring infrastructure like the Benson Airport and a Drive-in Theater on the town's edge. To the north, agricultural developments follow the Pomerene Canal near the settlement of Pomerene, while the western landscape is dominated by the steep peaks of the Whetstone Mountains.

Within the Coronado National Forest, the map records a legacy of mining and ranching. Remote locations such as the Lone Star Mine and Ricketts Mine are reached by a network of Jeep Trails snaking through Guindani Canyon and French Joe Canyon. These mountain recesses, including sites like French Joe Camp and Lone Pine Saddle, represent a rugged contrast to the rail-side settlements of Mescal and Chamiso in the valley floor.