1951 Map of Hanford

About this map

Hanford Works (A E C) dominates the riverfront in this early 1950s survey, illustrating a landscape in radical transition. Following the wartime displacement of local residents, the Hanford Townsite and White Bluffs Townsite appear as structured but largely emptied grids, repurposed for the Atomic Energy Commission. The Columbia River serves as the central axis, separating the high White Bluffs from the Wahluke Slope. While industrial activity is evident at the works, the outlying areas retain the names of former family homesteads and agricultural operations like Berg Ranch, Wahluke Ranch, and the Smith Ranch (Abandoned). Topographical details also show the natural terrain, including Gable Mountain and the Shifting Sand Dunes to the southeast. Traces of previous infrastructure remain, such as an abandoned railroad and the Foster Ranch, documenting the shift from rural irrigation farming to a secretive national security site.