1973 Map of Payson South

About this map

Payson serves as the focal point of this 1970s study, revealing the community's footprint just as it was beginning to expand into the surrounding Tonto National Forest. The map documents critical local infrastructure and heritage sites, including the Payson Cem, the High Sch, and the historic Ft McDonald (Ruins) located in Green Valley. Beyond the town limits, the landscape is defined by its mining legacy, with several named operations such as the Silver King Mine, Golden Wonder Mine, and Oxbow Mine dotting the drainages of Oxbow Gulch and Lousy Gulch. The delineation of the Payson Indian Reservation adjacent to the town and the extensive network of cattle tanks and springs, like American Tank and Peach Orchard Spring, illustrate a working landscape where ranching, resource extraction, and early residential growth converged.