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1956 Map of Olancha

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Olancha
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Cottonwood Creek flows from the high Sierra down toward the dry basin of Owens Lake, illustrating the complex water management systems of the mid-20th century. The presence of the Los Angeles Aqueduct and the Cottonwood Power Plant highlights the region's role in supporting distant urban growth. Along the eastern shore, industrial sites like Bartlett and various Soda Evaporator facilities mark the mineral extraction economy of the era.

The landscape is dotted with high-altitude meadows such as Horseshoe Meadow and Dutch Meadow, transitioning into the peaks of Inyo National Forest. To the south, the settlement of Olancha serves as a gateway near the Southern Pacific rail line at Olancha Siding. Unique historical markers like the Charcoal Kilns and the Cottonwood Sawmill provide evidence of early resource processing, while the Landing Strip near the South Fork Kern River indicates the increasing accessibility of these remote mountain basins by the 1950s.