1987 Map of Promontory Point

About this map

Great Salt Lake dominates this 1980s landscape, illustrating the engineering of the Southern Pacific (Lucin Cutoff) as it strikes west across the water from Promontory Point. The map details the transition from the industrial and military corridors of the Wasatch Front to the remote islands and mudflats of the west. Large-scale salt evaporators and conservation areas like the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge highlight the specialized land use surrounding the saline waters. On the eastern shore, a dense network of towns including Brigham City, Clearfield, and Layton sit alongside Hill Air Force Base, showing the suburban and military expansion of the era. The presence of the Union Pacific and Denver and Rio Grande Western railroads underscores the region's importance as a continental transit hub, while isolated stations like Midlake and Tresend mark the lonely path of the rail line over the lake.