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1959 Map of Douglas

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Douglas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Bisbee and Douglas dominate this landscape during a peak era of copper extraction and cross-border transit along the United States Mexico boundary. The industrial footprint of the Copper Queen Mine and the massive Lavender Pit illustrate the region's mineral dependency, while the Southern Pacific railroad and the Douglas Smelter link these remote desert outposts to global markets. In the valleys between the Chiricahua Mountains and the Animas Mountains, scattered settlements like Paradise, Portal, and Rodeo signify a landscape shaped by both cattle ranching and mining prospecting.

The Continental Divide winds through the eastern portion of the survey, separating the Animas Valley from the Playas Valley. The presence of the Bisbee Douglas International College and the Bisbee Douglas International Airport reflects the mid-century modernization of these border communities. Further north, the Chiricahua National Monument and Coronado National Forest preserve the high-elevation basin and range environment, providing a stark contrast to the arid expanses of Sulphur Springs Valley and the seasonal Playas Lake.