1954 Map of Mesa

About this map

The Phoenix metropolitan area, including Tempe, Scottsdale, and Mesa, appears here in its mid-century expansion before the era of massive urban sprawl. Agricultural outposts and smaller settlements like Gilbert, Higley, and Rittenhouse dot the valley floor, while Williams A.F. Base serves as a major regional landmark. To the east, the landscape shifts abruptly into the high desert and mountains, dominated by the Superstition Mountains and the copper mining district surrounding Globe, Miami, and the Inspiration Mine.