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1942 Map of Indian Spring

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Indian Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Gunnery Range operations and military designations dominate this 1942 War Department survey of southern Nevada, reflecting the region's rapid transition into a strategic defense zone during the early years of World War II. The map clearly delineates the Military Reservation Boundary cutting across the arid landscape, separating vast stretches of the Pintwater Range and Indian Spring Valley Range for military use. Settlement is sparse, centered on the small outpost of Indian Spring along the primary highway, Route 95.

Water sources, though rare, are critical landmarks in this desert environment, including Quartz Spring, Mesquite Spring, and the expansive dry basin of Frenchman Flat. The map also captures the administrative landscape where Nye, Lincoln, and Clark counties meet, alongside early survey markers like Glo 2 and several bench marks such as BM M-117. This document serves as a record of the area just as it was being permanently reshaped by federal military requirements.