Loading map...

1956 Map of Needles

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Needles
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Colorado River carves a critical corridor through the arid landscape of the Mojave Desert, anchoring the border between California and Arizona. Along this waterway, the Needles settlement serves as a vital transit hub, where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad meets the river. To the south, the massive engineering of Parker Dam creates the Parker Dam Reservoir and Havasu Lake, providing the water essential for regional development.

Industry and desert survival are mapped through scattered landmarks like the Calcium chloride flaking plant near Bristol Lake and numerous remote water sources such as Bonanza Springs and Fenner Springs. The map documents the vast protected lands and tribal territories of the mid-century, including the Joshua Tree National Monument and the Fort Mohave Indian Reservation, while tracing a network of mines like the Copper World Mine and desert outposts from Amboy to Goffs.