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1943 Map of Coachella

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Coachella
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

The Coachella Valley unfolds as a complex agricultural and tribal landscape during the early 1940s, anchored by the growing hubs of Indio and Coachella. This wartime survey reveals an area defined by the Southern Pacific railroad corridor and the vital hydrology of the Whitewater River and the Storm Channel. To the south, the shoreline of the Salton Sea is visible at an elevation of 241 feet below sea level, adjacent to a local Salt Works.

Large portions of the valley floor are dedicated to tribal lands, including the Augustine Indian Reservation and the extensive Torres Martinez Indian Reservation, featuring the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation Headquarters. The map documents essential rural infrastructure for genealogists and local historians, from the Coachella Valley High School to smaller outposts like Valerie School and Ensign School. Settlements such as Thermal, Mecca, and Sandy Korner mark the transition from the irrigated valley to the steep slopes of the Mecca Hills and Little San Bernardino Mountains.