1947 Map of Kirkland

About this map

Prescott National Forest dominates this mid-century landscape in Yavapai County, where the high-desert terrain is marked by a legacy of resource extraction and ranching. The mapping reveals a network of canyons and washes, centered on the Hassayampa River and its tributaries like Copper Basin Wash and French Creek. This era of the late 1940s captures a specialized mountain economy where operations such as the Copper Crown Mine and the Climax Mine sit alongside established cattle operations like the T K Bar Ranch and Whitehead Ranch. Settlement is sparse but concentrated at Wilhoit and Walnut Grove, where the local Walnut Grove School served the surrounding rural population. Numerous water sources, including Government Sprs and Trap Corral Spr, highlight the critical importance of spring-fed water for both livestock and mining in the arid Arizona interior.