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1952 Map of Gila Butte

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Gila Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The Gila River Indian Reservation dominates this mid-century landscape, revealing a complex network of agricultural irrigation and desert settlements. The Gila River and its accompanying canals, including the South Side Canal and Casa Blanca Canal, dictate the pattern of development across the Pinal and Maricopa county line. Indigenous community centers are clearly marked, featuring St Peters Mission Sch at Bapchule and the Santan Day Sch further east.

Military and industrial footprints appear alongside these traditional lands, notably the Goodyear Air Force Auxiliary Airfield and the Southern Pacific railroad line. The map provides significant detail for genealogists, locating the Goodyear Cemetery and the Pima Hospital, while the presence of Snaketown offers a look at the area's deep archaeological significance before modern expansion. To the south, the Sacaton Mountains rise sharply, providing a natural boundary to the valley's irrigation-fed fields.