1956 Map of Cockalorum Wash

About this map

The high desert landscape of central Nevada is defined by the sharp vertical contrast between the Fish Creek Range and the expansive Little Smoky Valley. This mid-century survey reveals a territory where survival was tied to scattered water sources, evidenced by the string of springs along the eastern edge of the mountains, including Kinkead Spring, Sheep Spring, and Cockalorum Spring. Ranching outposts such as Indian Spring Ranch and Willow Creek Ranch established themselves where drainage from the Pancake Range provided reliable flow. The map documents the boundary where Eureka and Nye Counties meet amidst a network of canyons, from the northern Davis Canyon to the southern Moonshine Creek. This area illustrates the typical Great Basin settlement pattern of the 1950s, with isolated homesteads like Snowball Ranch positioned far from the few primitive roads crossing the valley floor.