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1955 Map of Hawthorne

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Hawthorne
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The arid Basin and Range landscape of Mineral County is defined here by the vast waters of Walker Lake and the high peaks of the Wassuk Range and Gillis Range. In the mid-1950s, the town of Hawthorne serves as a critical hub, established at the junction of the Southern Pacific railroad and the sprawling Naval Ammunition Depot. This military presence dominates the valley floor south of the lake, where a grid of roads and facilities integrates with the local community.

Local landmarks such as the Mineral Co High Sch and a local Cem provide specific points of interest for genealogists, while the small settlement of Thorne sits along the rail line to the northeast. Beyond the developed areas, the terrain is characterized by steep drainages like Squaw Creek and Ryan Canyon, showing the sharp contrast between the industrial military installations and the surrounding desert wilderness.