1943 Map of Cochise

About this map

Willcox Playa dominates the center of this high-desert landscape, a vast dry lake bed marking the heart of the Sulphur Spring Valley in the early 1940s. The region is defined by a sparse but resilient network of cattle ranches and mining operations, with the Southern Pacific railroad providing the vital transportation link between the town of Willcox and the settlement of Cochise. To the southwest, the terrain rises sharply into the Dragoon Mountains, where the Golden Rule Mine and Red Bird Mine point to the area's mineral extraction history. Evidence of mid-century infrastructure is visible near the tracks, including an Airway Beacon, Radio Range Beacon, and a Landing Field, reflecting the era's growing aviation network. Local family history is grounded in sites like Steele Ranch, Flanders Ranch, and the Sulphur Spring School at the edge of the Kansas Settlement Road.