1948 Map of Mesa Grande

About this map

Mesa Grande Indian Res and the neighboring Santa Ysabel Indian Reservation anchor this 1948 survey of the San Diego backcountry. The landscape is defined by the high-elevation waters of Lake Henshaw in the northeast, where the San Luis Rey River begins its descent through the Cleveland National Forest. This era of the map shows a specialized mountain economy where ranching at the Almond Ranch met a legacy of hard-rock mineral extraction. Near Gem Hill, a concentration of workings including the Himalaya Mine, Esmeralda Mine, and San Diego Mine points to the region's historic significance for gemstone and mineral prospecting. The mapping of the Mesa Grande Truck Trail and Ysabel Truck Trail illustrates the mid-century infrastructure required to manage these remote timber and mining districts.