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1952 Map of Mellan

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Mellan
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Mellan and the surrounding high-desert territory of the Nellis Air Force Range are captured here during a period of transition in the early 1950s. The landscape is defined by its isolation and specialized use, featuring remote outposts like Wilsons Camp and Trappman, as well as a dedicated Mining Area in the western hills. The presence of several targets, a Landing Field, and an Observation Tower reflects the mid-century military expansion into this part of the Great Basin.

Water is a critical and scarce resource, noted only at specific points such as Antelope Springs, Sulphide Well, and the seasonal Dry Lake. Topographical details reveal the varied terrain of the Cactus Range, the Lizard Hills, and the Gabbard Hills, which rise above the desert floor. This record provides a look at the infrastructure of the range before later developments, detailing a network of unimproved dirt roads that connected these remote points of interest.