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1911 Map of Randsburg

Name: 1911 Topographic Map of Randsburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Gold and tungsten mining define the industrial landscape of the Mojave high desert in the early twentieth century. The Yellow Aster Mine dominates the northern slopes above Randsburg, a hub of activity where several roads and trails converge. This survey shows the early rail infrastructure critical to the region's extraction economy, including the Southern Pacific line through Rand and the Randsburg Branch of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, which connects the communities of Johannesburg, Atolia, and St Elmo.

The complex terrain of the Rand Mountains and El Paso Mountains is marked by numerous remote watering holes and mining outposts. From the high point of Government Peak to the Summit Diggings, the map illustrates a network of resource-driven settlements. Features like the Stringer District and the precisely mapped Boundary Line between Kern and San Bernardino counties provide essential context for researchers tracing the development of the California desert.