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1961 Map of Lathrop Wells

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Lathrop Wells
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The Nevada Test Site dominates the northern and eastern portions of this early 1960s survey, mapped in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission. At the center of the desert crossroads is Lathrop Wells, a small settlement serving travelers and workers at the base of the Amargosa Desert. The landscape is defined by its arid drainage systems, including Fortymile Wash, Topopah Wash, and Rock Valley Wash, which carve through the high terrain of Yucca Mountain and Skull Mtn.

Industrial and scientific activity is evident through an Airstrip, a Weather Station, and several Gravel Pits scattered along the Jackass Flats Road. The southern reaches are marked by an Old Railroad Grade and numerous wells, reflecting the area's ongoing transformation from a traditional spring-fed territory, like that found at Cane Spring, into a restricted government installation during the Cold War era.