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1955 Map of Mecca

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Mecca
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

The settlement of Mecca serves as a focal point for this mid-century desert landscape, situated at the edge of the burgeoning agricultural valley. Large-scale water management infrastructure defines the local geography, with the Coachella Canal and Whitewater River cutting through the terrain to support the extensive grids of desert cultivation. To the south, the northern shoreline of the Salton Sea appears as it was in the mid-1950s, noted at an elevation of 235 feet below sea level.

Transportation and land tenure are clearly marked, showing the Southern Pacific railroad line following the corridor of Hammond Road and Alexander Road. The map provides detailed boundaries for the Cabezon Indian Reservation and the sprawling Torres Martinez Indian Res. Toward the northeast, the desert topography transitions into the steep, carved features of Painted Canyon and Box Canyon, contrasting the irrigated valley floor with the arid wilderness.