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1917 Map of Christmas

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Christmas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1917
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1917

About this map

Mining and ranching activity define the landscape of the Gila River corridor during the First World War. The copper settlement at Christmas serves as a primary hub, supported by the Arizona Eastern railroad winding through the river canyon. Industrial development is evident at the Lees Mine, Two Queens Mine, and Pools Mines, while the Lower Coal Field Mine suggests the diversification of local extraction.

North of the river, the White Mountain Indian Reservation encompasses high terrain like the Mescal Mountains, punctuated by cattle operations at O Ranch and Dittles Ranch. The map captures a transition where the desert topography of Dripping Spring Valley meets the structured water resources of Mescal Warm Spring and Soda Springs, reflecting an era of hardrock mining and remote ranching before later 20th-century shifts.