1933 Map of Casa Desierta

About this map

The Antelope Valley high desert landscape is captured here in 1930, displaying the rigid geometric grid of future development imposed upon an arid basin. This survey, conducted by E.P. Davis and C.W. Nessler, reveals a transitional era when simple dirt tracks and section lines began to define the region's geography. Educational outposts like Antelope Sch and Redman Sch serve as the primary landmarks in a sparsely populated terrain where survival depended on scattered wells. At the northern edge, the seasonal floor of Buckhorn Dry Lake straddles the boundary between Kern and Los Angeles Counties. The map is characterized by its meticulous recording of numbered thoroughfares, including Avenue B through Avenue I, and the vital Lancaster Muroc Road which facilitated travel through this portion of the Mojave Desert prior to mid-century growth.