Loading map...

1953 Map of Black Rock Spring

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Black Rock Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Yakima Firing Center Military Reservation occupies much of this landscape, reflecting the mid-century expansion of military training grounds in central Washington. This 1950s topography captures a transition between rugged high desert ridges and the emerging utility of the Black Rock Valley to the south. Sparse settlement is marked only by isolated outposts like Coffin Ranch and the MacKintosh-Douglas Ranch, emphasizing the aridity and scale of the terrain.

Vital water sources, including Black Rock Spring and Nelson Spring, are clearly identified, serving as critical landmarks in an otherwise dry expanse. The presence of the Hanford Road cutting across the southern portion of the map indicates the region's connection to the growing industrial and scientific developments of the atomic era. Natural features like Selah Creek and the steep walls of Firewater Canyon dominate the northern terrain, illustrating the geographical barriers that shaped land use in this part of Yakima County.