1907 Map of Mt. Whitney

About this map

Independence and Lone Pine anchor the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada in this early century survey of the Owens Valley. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the valley floor, where the Southern Pacific System rail line connects settlements like Owenyo and Thebe, to the high peaks of the Sierra Forest Reserve. The map records a time of significant infrastructure and early mining, such as the Bluebell Mine, and traces historic paths through Kearsarge Pass and Sawmill Pass. To the west, the rugged high country is a maze of glacial basins and named summits, including University Peak and Mt Baxter. Notable for local historians is the site of Old Camp Independence, located north of the modern townsite, and the intricate drainage network of Taboose Creek and Goodale Creek feeding the valley floor.