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1951 Map of Desert Peak

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Desert Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Trinity Mountains and the Hot Springs Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in the early 1950s, revealing a region defined by its historic transit corridors and mineral extraction. The map preserves the pathways of the Old California Trail (West Central Road) and the Old California Trail (Carson River Route), which intersect with the modern corridor of the Southern Pacific railroad. Small settlements and railroad stops like Jessup, Huxley, and Parran anchor the sparse population centers between the arid peaks and the low-lying Alkali Flat.

Mining activity is widespread across the quadrangle, with numerous claims such as the Mule Train Mine, Copper Queen Mine, and the Hard To Find Mine scattered through the uplands. Near the eastern edge, the Stillwater Wildlife Management Area borders the Carson Sink (Depression), where the Humboldt Slough enters the basin. This survey provides a record of the shifting industrial and migratory routes that have crossed the Churchill County desert for over a century.