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1940 Map of Brawley

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Brawley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The New River carves a sinuous path through this 1940 Imperial Valley landscape, highlighting a complex irrigation and transport network developed shortly before the mid-century. A grid of irrigation canals, including the Main Canal, Thistle Canal, and Tokay Canal, supports the agricultural expansion surrounding the major hubs of Brawley, Imperial, and El Centro. The map illustrates the transition from the desert basin, marked by the Sea Level contour, to a highly managed agricultural plain.

Industrial and community life are anchored by the intersection of several railroads, most notably the San Diego and Arizona Eastern and the Holton Interurban. Scattered rural schools like Lantana Sch and Silsbee Sch suggest the distribution of early farming families across the valley floor. Small transport nodes like Wilsie Siding and the settlement of Seeley provide a clear view of the rail-dependent economy that defined this region prior to widespread modern highway development.