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1956 Map of Lanfair Valley

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Lanfair Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Lanfair Valley appears in the mid-1950s as a landscape defined by historic transit corridors and desert mining. The settlement of Lanfair sits at the junction of the Old Government Road and the Old Ivanpah Railroad Grade, marking a point where traditional overland travel met early rail infrastructure. The arid basin is flanked by the Piute Range and Hackberry Mountain, with vital water sources like Hackberry Spring and Vontrigger Spring serving as focal points for activity.

Industrial history is written across the hills, from the True Blue Mine in the Bobcat Hills to the California Mine and Leiser Ray Mine further south. Numerous labels for shafts, tunnels, and prospects indicate a territory heavily worked for minerals. This survey records a specific phase of the Mojave’s development, where the infrastructure of the old mining and rail era persisted alongside newer features like a Landing Strip and modern pipelines.