1953 Map of Fiddler Butte

About this map

The Dirty Devil River carves a deep, serpentine path through this 1950s landscape, serving as a stark natural boundary between the high plateaus of Sams Mesa and Bert Mesa. The terrain is defined by its dramatic verticality, where isolated landmarks like Fiddler Butte and The Pinnacle rise above a complex network of drainages including Poison Spring Canyon and Hatch Canyon. Evidence of human activity and aviation history is sparse but present, marked by a Landing Strip near the head of Happy Canyon and scattered prospects. Notable water sources such as Sams Mesa Spring and Two Pipe Springs represent critical points in this arid environment. The map also records early infrastructure, including a Tunnel and various surveying benchmarks like VABM 6391 Fiddler, reflecting the mid-century effort to document this portion of the Wayne and Garfield County line.