1959 Map of McDermitt

About this map

The Santa Rosa Range dominates this mid-century portrait of the Nevada-Oregon borderlands, where high-desert ranching and deep-earth mining define the local economy. At the northern edge, the Fort McDermitt Indian Res straddles the state line, while the Western Shoshone Indian Reservation sits to the east near the Independence Mountains. The map documents a significant industrial footprint in the mid-1950s, highlighting several major operations such as the Getchell Mine, the Riley Mine, and the National Mine. Settlement patterns follow the water, with McDermitt and Orovada positioned along the Quinn River Valley, and Paradise Valley tucked between the Santa Rosa Peak and the Hot Springs Range. Transport is anchored by the north-south corridor of U.S. 95 and the Western Pacific RR skirting the southern boundary near Winnemucca.