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1956 Map of Higley

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Higley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Williams Air Force Base dominates the landscape of southeastern Maricopa County in this mid-century survey, surrounded by the evolving agricultural and military footprint of the Salt River Valley. The map captures a transition point for the rural communities of Higley and Queen Creek, where the grid of irrigation infrastructure like the Eastern Canal and Roosevelt Canal fostered a blossoming cotton and citrus economy. Settlement patterns follow the Southern Pacific railroad line, which connects smaller stops and sidings like Germann and Rittenhouse.

Social and institutional landmarks of the era are clearly marked, including the Higley Sch, Queen Creek Sch, and the Arizona Boys Ranch. To the east, the Desert Proving Grounds indicate the area's increasing strategic importance during the Cold War. Grounded in 1955 aerial photography, the sheet provides an exact record of local roads such as Williams Field Road and Pecos Road before the suburban expansion of later decades.