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1948 Map of Quail Mountains

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Quail Mountains
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The Epsom Salts Works and the striking trace of an Abandoned Monorail dominate the northwestern reaches of this high-desert landscape in the late 1940s. This region is defined by the convergence of the Owlshead Mountains, Quail Mountains, and Granite Mountains, creating a complex network of ridgelines and deep basins. Human activity is largely dictated by water and defense, with the Camp Irwin Military Reservation covering a significant portion of the territory.

Scattered water sources like Hidden Spring, Quail Spring, and Leach Spring provided critical stopping points for early travelers and industry. The presence of the Randsburg Road winding through the southwestern corner illustrates the era's desert transit routes. This survey documents the intersection of industrial ambition and military expansion in the San Bernardino desert before further modernization altered the visibility of these early 20th-century remnants.