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1947 Map of Lucerne Valley

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Lucerne Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

Lucerne Dry Lake and the northern slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains define this late 1940s landscape, illustrating a region shaped by high-desert ranching and mountain mining. Near the northern margin, the Lucerne Valley settlement clusters around the Box S Ranch and Rabbit Springs, while the Midway Sch serves the local rural population. To the south, the terrain rises sharply into the San Bernardino National Forest, where the historical footprint of the California gold rush is evident through numerous workings like the Wright Mine and the Blackhawk Mine (Aban'd).

The presence of Big Bear Lake and the developing Big Bear City at the southern edge marks the area's transition into a mountain retreat. Between the desert floor and the peaks, features like Holcomb Valley and John Bull Flat preserve the names of early prospectors and settlers. The map also records early aviation infrastructure with a Landing Strip near the dry lake bed, highlighting the logistical importance of the flat valley floor during this era of inland expansion.