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1954 Map of Emerson Lake

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Emerson Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Emerson Lake and the dry bed of Means Lake define this arid stretch of San Bernardino County during the mid-1950s. This survey, authorized under State Engineer A. D. Edmonston and Governor Goodwin J. Knight, reveals an active landscape of resource exploration and military utility. Extensive mining activity is evident across the high ground, with numerous shafts, prospects, and a tunnel dotting the slopes, including the named Los Padres Mine.

A network of jeep trails crisscrosses the terrain, providing access to remote summits like Maumee and VABM 4164 Maumee. The eastern portion of the sheet is dominated by the Marine Corps Training Center, illustrating the post-war conversion of the California desert for strategic defense operations. The combination of industrial mining remains and military boundaries provides a window into how this landscape was being utilized just before the mid-century expansion of inland California.