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1938 Map of Cortez

Name: 1938 Topographic Map of Cortez
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The high desert mining landscape of the Cortez Mountains dominates this 1938 survey, illustrating the proximity of industrial operations to isolated ranching life. Centered around the prominent Mt Tenabo, the map documents several active extraction sites including the Cortez Mine, Mill Canyon Mine, and a Turquoise Mine. The rugged topography transitions sharply into the broad reaches of Crescent Valley and Grass Valley, where water sources like Wenban Spring and Dugout Spring were essential for sustaining the remote outposts of the era.

Evidence of early rural infrastructure appears through family-named landmarks such as Caetano Ranch, Kunes Ranch, and the Francis Cabin. The presence of the Mill Canyon Sch suggests a small but established community serving the mining and ranching families in this stretch of Lander and Eureka counties. Transportation through the area is shown as a network of unimproved roads and trails connecting the mountain camps to the valleys below.