1953 Map of Cedar City

About this map

Cedar City serves as the gateway to a landscape defined by dramatic geologic staircase formations and the early industrial ventures of Southern Utah. This mid-century compilation reveals the sprawling reach of the Dixie National Forest and the proximity of Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park to established valley settlements. The map documents the region's extraction history, from the Western Mine in the Iron Mountains to the legacy of the Silver Reef Mine near Leeds. Transportation patterns are fixed by the Union Pacific line crossing the Escalante Desert through Modena and Beryl, while local life is centered along the Virgin River and its tributaries. Significant cultural sites including the now-revered townsite of Grafton and the high-elevation Cedar Breaks Lodge appear alongside small agricultural outposts like Newcastle and New Harmony.