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1952 Map of Cactus Spring

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Cactus Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

The Cactus Range dominates this mid-century topographic study, which captures a desert landscape defined by both its mining history and its evolving military utility. Near the northern peaks, Cactus Spring and the Urania Mine mark sites of early 20th-century industry, while to the south, the Gold Crater (Site) and various Mining Areas indicate the region's extraction-based origins.

By the early 1950s, this Nye County terrain had been integrated into the Las Vegas Bombing and Gunnery Range. The map documents this transition with numerous Target markers, a Bunker, and several Bunkers scattered across Stonewall Flat and the slopes of Stonewall Mtn. This intersection of traditional prospector landmarks, such as Desert Well, and Cold War military infrastructure provides a unique record of land use in the Nevada desert during this era.