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1952 Map of Midland

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Midland
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Mining operations and remote desert outposts define this 1952 topographic study of the Colorado Desert. The settlement of Midland serves as a primary hub for the region's industrial activity, featuring a Landing Strip and Sewage Disposal facility adjacent to the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line. The extraction of minerals is central to the landscape, with the Little Maria Mountains and surrounding slopes dotted with workings such as the Eagle Nest Mine, Victor Mine, and the Arlington Mine reached via the Arlington Mine Road.

Evidence of earlier habitation or temporary camps appears at Gypsum Wells (Site) and Browns Well (Site), while transit points like Inca, Cox, and Styx mark the rail corridor. The topography transitions from the heavy relief of the mountains to the Sand Dunes and open expanse of Rice Valley, illustrating the intersection of industrial ambition and an unforgiving arid environment during the mid-twentieth century.