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1912 Map of Ivanpah

Name: 1912 Topographic Map of Ivanpah
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

High-desert mining operations and remote rail junctions dominate this 1912 landscape across the California-Nevada border. The rugged corridors of the Spring Mountains and McCullough Range are punctuated by productive sites like the Potosi Mine, Yellow Pine Mine, and Copper World Mine. These industrial nodes were serviced by a developing rail network, including the San Pedro Los Angeles and Salt Lake RR and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR.

Settlement patterns reveal the necessity of water in this arid environment, with clusters around Vanderbilt, Barnwell, and Nipton. The map documents early transit history through labels like the Old Traction Road and Old Government Road, which crossed through the Devils Playground. From the abandoned copper smelters to the named springs like Stump Spr, the map illustrates a transition from pioneer trail systems to industrial-scale extraction and transport.