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1951 Map of Cotton Center

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Cotton Center
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Cotton Center and the Enterprise Ranch sit at the heart of this desert landscape, where the Gila River provides a vital corridor of life between the Buckeye Hills and the Maricopa Mountains. The map illustrates the sophisticated mid-century water management necessary for agricultural survival in this arid region, showing the Gila Bend Canal, the Enterprise Canal, and a prominent Diversion Dike used to redirect seasonal runoff.

Along the southern edge of the survey, the Butterfield Stage Route traces a historic path through the desert floor, passing near the northern boundary of the Gila Bend Indian Reservation. The terrain is characterized by stark contrasts, from the flat reaches of the Rainbow Valley to the steep elevations of the Gila Bend Mountains. This 1951 record documents a period when local infrastructure, including a small Airstrip and several pipelines, began to weave through these traditional ranching lands.