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1956 Map of Ivanpah

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Ivanpah
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Nipton and the high desert outposts of Ivanpah and Vanderbilt anchor this mid-century topographic survey of the California-Nevada borderlands. The arid landscape is defined by the Union Pacific railroad corridor, which links small sidings like Brant and Moore across the valley floor. Mining activity is heavily concentrated in the surrounding peaks, including the Carbonate King Mine near Kokoweef Peak and the Morning Star Mine along the eastern slopes of the Ivanpah Mountains.

Water sources, critical for settlement and industry, are clearly identified through names like Slaughterhouse Spring, Mineral Spring, and Murphy Well. The map also captures the historical trajectory of regional travel and surveying, showing an Old Railroad Grade and the Von Schmidt Line (Approx) marking the state boundary. To the south, the New York Mountains rise sharply, dissected by features such as Cliff Canyon and Sagamore Canyon, where the Sagamore Mine and Giant Ledge Mine denote a history of mineral extraction.