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1952 Map of Mc Coy Spring

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Mc Coy Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Chuckwalla Valley (Depression) dominates the central landscape of this 1952 Riverside County survey, revealing the remote water sources essential for desert survival and early industry. Settlement patterns are sparse, defined primarily by isolated water points like Hopkins Well, Teague Well, and the already labeled Ford Well (Aban'd). These wells and the seasonal Ford Dry Lake provided the only reprieve for travelers and workers in the arid basin between the Mc Coy Mountains and the Mullin Mountains.

Evidence of small-scale extraction and early infrastructure appears in the Roosevelt Mine, scattered Prospects, and a prominent Pipe Line cutting through the valley floor. The map captures the transition from old desert watering holes to modern communication, noted by the presence of Radio Sta 2 near the Palo Verde Mesa. This data was compiled under the direction of State Engineer A. D. Edmonston, documenting the rugged topography of Mc Coy Peak and its surrounding washes during a period of expanding public works in the California desert.