1907 Map of Mt. Whitney

About this map

Independence and the military site of Old Camp Independence anchor the valley floor in this early twentieth-century survey. The landscape is defined by the stark transition from the Owens River basin to the high peaks of Kings Canyon National Park and Sequoia National Park. Industrial and transportation interests of the era are evident in the Southern Pacific Railroad and its Narrow Gage branch, which served the agricultural hub of Manzanar and the rail junction at Owenyo. High-altitude routes like Kearsarge Pass and Taboose Pass provided vital access through the Sierra Nevada range for early travelers and prospectors. Geologic activity is documented by a prominent Earthquake Fault running parallel to the railroad, while the local economy is represented by the Bluebell Mine and the Reward settlement, illustrating the diverse mineral and transit-based history of the Inyo region.