1950 Map of Confidence Hills

About this map

The Amargosa River cuts through the extreme topography of the southern Death Valley (Depression), illustrating the harsh environmental constraints of the Mojave desert during the mid-century. This survey documents the scattered remains of late-19th and early-20th-century gold and silver extraction, most notably at the Ashford Mill (Ruins) and the nearby Ashford Mine. The landscape is a network of arid washes and springs, such as Bradbury Well and Virgin Spring, which served as vital waypoints for prospectors and travelers navigating between the Black Mountains and the Owlshead Mountains. Settlement in this era was defined by industrial activity rather than permanent towns, evidenced by the Confidence Mill (Site) near the Confidence Narrows. The map provides a look at the infrastructure of the Death Valley National Monument as it existed before modern expansion, recording old mining tracks and the precarious passage through Jubilee Pass.