1956 Map of Mojave

About this map

Mojave stands at a strategic junction in the high desert, where the Southern Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads converge near the base of the Tehachapi Mountains. By the mid-1950s, the area had developed into a significant military and infrastructure hub, anchored by the Marine Corps Auxiliary Air Station and the neighboring Myer Field. The landscape is defined by the massive engineering of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, which winds past Aqueduct Station as it skirts the Barren Ridge. Small settlements and railroad sidings like Chaffee, Warren, and Reefer City dot the surrounding flats, while the Naval Reservation occupies the eastern territory. This survey captures a specific era of California desert history where aviation, rail logistics, and water transport intersected to support the region's rapid growth.