1951 Map of Gila Bend

About this map

Gila Bend serves as a critical desert junction in the early 1950s, where the Southern Pacific and Tucson Cornelia and Gila Bend railroads converge. The landscape is defined by the vital waters of the Gila River and the Gila Bend Canal, which support settlements like Sil Murk within the Gila Bend Indian Reservation. To the south and east, the desert floor rises sharply into the Maricopa Mountains and the Sand Tank Mountains, featuring landmarks such as Blue Plateau and Round Butte.