1947 Map of Bissell

About this map

Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad tracks cut a straight path across this arid landscape, anchoring the small settlement of Bissell. This 1947 Army Map Service compilation, derived from aerial photography, shows a remote section of the Mojave Desert characterized by isolated homesteads and rugged topography. Local life is centered around family-named outposts such as De Stazo Ranch in the north and E Brown Ranch further south. The map's detail, including unimproved dirt roads and trails, reveals a region defined more by its natural contours and rail transit than by dense settlement, offering a precise look at the high desert just before mid-century expansion.