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1956 Map of Iron Mountains

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Iron Mountains
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Infrastructure for the transport of water and freight dominates this 1950s landscape within the Mojave Desert. The Colorado River Aqueduct is the central engineering marvel shown, featuring the Iron Mountain Pumping Plant and a series of complex structures including the West Iron Portal, a siphon, and tunnels through the Iron Mountains. These features reflect California's mid-century push for water security through the Director of Water Resources.

To the north, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad skirts the edge of Danby Lake, passing through the small station at Saltmarsh. To the south, the topography rises toward Granite Pass and the Granite Mountains, where a single Granite Shaft hints at the region's mining history. The map also meticulously delineates the San Bernardino Base Line and the county boundary between San Bernardino and Riverside Counties.