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1893 Map of Disaster

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Disaster
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1909
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1909

About this map

The high desert terrain of Northwest Nevada's Humboldt region is defined here by dramatic vertical relief and geothermal activity, as surveyed in the early 1880s by G.K. Gilbert. This reconnaissance map highlights the immense Pine Forest Mountains and Jackson Mountains, which loom over the Black Rock Desert. Water is the critical scarcity in this landscape, marked by the intermittent Sink of Quinn River and the thermal waters of numerous Hot Springs scattered throughout the basins.

Settlement is remarkably sparse, reflecting the era's reliance on established transit points such as Mason's Crossing and Sod House Point. Ranchers and travelers of the late nineteenth century sought out the rare grazing lands at Cove Meadows and Pahute Meadows. Topographical landmarks like Disaster Peak and the passage through Thacker Pass provide the primary navigational framework for a region where the Kings River and Quinn River Lakes dominate the lowlands.