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1956 Map of Dale Lake

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Dale Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Mining operations and industrial salt production dominate this mid-century survey of the California desert. The northern reaches of the Pinto Mountains and the Joshua Tree National Monument boundary are marked by a high concentration of hard-rock mines, including the Supply Mine, Brooklyn Mine, and Iron Age Mine, many of which feature mapped tunnels and shafts. This industrial activity contrast with the vast Sand Dunes and the prominent Dale Lake basin.

The presence of Salt Evaporators and a Salt Pit near the small settlement of Bush indicates the active extraction of minerals from the dry lake bed. Transport across this arid landscape was facilitated by the Twenty Nine Palms Highway and the Amboy Road, while more remote prospects were accessed via a network of jeep trails. The location of the New Dale (Site) provides a specific reference point for local historians tracking the shift in settlement patterns during this era.