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1944 Map of Pinkham Well

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Pinkham Well
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Joshua Tree National Monument dominates this wartime military survey, which captures the desert interior during a period of transition between early mining activity and conservation. The landscape is defined by the convergence of several major ranges, including the Pinto Mountains and the Hexie Mountains, which frame the broad expanse of the Pinto Basin.

Evidence of the area's prospecting history is found on the western slopes, where the El Dorado Mine and Golden Bee Mine sit near established trails. The map highlights the isolation of Pinkham Well and the winding Cottonwood Pass Road, reflecting a time when this arid region was accessed primarily by secondary roads and dirt tracks rather than modern infrastructure. This 1944 edition, produced by the Army Corps of Engineers, provides a precise record of the topography and water sources that were vital for navigation through these desert ranges during the early 1940s.