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1955 Map of Mid Hills

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Mid Hills
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The high Mojave Desert landscape of the New York Mountains and Woods Mountains dominates this 1950s survey. This era of land use is defined by a reliance on the springs and wells scattered throughout the basins, including Government Holes and Rock Spring, which served as critical stops along the historic Old Government Road. The region's mining legacy is visible in the presence of the Death Valley Mine near the Union Pacific tracks at Cima, as well as the Barnett Mine and Gold Valley Mine further south.

Evidence of indigenous and early settlement history is marked by Indian Petroglyphs and the natural volcanic formations at Hole-in-the-Wall. The topography transitions from the high peaks of Columbia Mtn down through Round Valley and into the broad expanse of Lanfair Valley, reflecting a landscape where water sources like Cottonwood Spring dictated the placement of camps and small-scale ranching operations.