1955 Map of Kingston Peak

About this map

Kingston Peak dominates this high-desert landscape in northeastern San Bernardino County, where mid-century geological interests were centered on isolated mining operations. This survey, conducted shortly after aerial photography in 1953, documents a remote terrain defined by the Kingston Range and the Shadow Mts. The map reveals the infrastructure of early desert exploration, marking numerous prospects, a shaft, and specific claims like the Eastern Star Mine and Min Mine. Rare water sources, essential for both mining and travel in the arid Valjean Valley, are noted at Kingston Spring and the curiously named Porcupine Tank. The presence of the Kingston Tunnel near the peak suggests the intensive efforts to extract minerals from these dry slopes during this era of California's history.