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1902 Map of Clifton

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of Clifton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1914
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1914

About this map

Clifton and Morenci serve as the industrial hubs for this mineral-rich region of Arizona, where the copper industry shaped the early 20th-century landscape. Steep canyon walls and high peaks like Mitchell Peak and Modoc Mtn dominate the terrain, necessitating complex transportation solutions for moving ore. The map documents the specialized engineering of the era, specifically the Coronado Incline and Longfellow Incline, which facilitated mining operations above Metcalf.

Downstream along the San Francisco River, the Shannon Smelter processed materials brought in by the Southern Pacific RR. Outside the industrial corridors, the Apache National Forest landscape features isolated outposts such as Goat Ranch and the Metcalf Ranger Station. The network of deep gulches, including Chase Creek and Morenci Gulch, illustrates how the topography dictated the dense, linear development of these mountain mining settlements during their most active years.