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1951 Map of Picacho

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Picacho
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Colorado River carves a fertile corridor through the arid Chocolate Mountains in this early 1950s survey of the California-Arizona border. This landscape is a patchwork of early industrial remnants and conservation efforts, dominated by the Imperial National Wildlife Refuge. The map documents a historical mining economy along the river, visible through the Clip Mill Site and several named workings like the Red Cloud Mine and Eureka Mine.

Settlement patterns follow the water, from the small community at Picacho and its accompanying Picacho Cem to isolated outposts like the Draper Ranch and Hoge Ranch. Evidence of earlier eras remains at Nortons Landing (Site) and the Airstrip Ruins, marking the evolution of transportation and commerce along this desert reach. The map also features numerous distinct water bodies such as Taylor Lake and Ferguson Lake, which provide a stark contrast to the surrounding network of dry washes like Vinagre Wash.