1943 Map of Cross Mountain

About this map

The high desert landscape of the Southern Sierra Nevada and Western Mojave is recorded here as it appeared in the mid-1940s. Centered on the distinctive Cross Mountain and Chuckwalla Mountain, this terrain shows a history of dispersed ranching and mining operations typical of the era. Evidence of early resource extraction is scattered throughout the canyons, including Bishops Claim, the San Antonio Mine, and the Skyline Mine. Local education and social hubs are sparse, marked by the solitary Landers Sch and the Dove Spring Ranch. Significant infrastructure cuts through the Fremont Valley, notably the Southern Pacific railroad and a major aqueduct, which contrast with the older network of springs and wells such as Butterbread Spring and Jawbone Well that historically sustained travel through the arid Jawbone Canyon.