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1942 Map of Ruby

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Ruby
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Ruby stands as a primary focal point in this southern Arizona landscape, situated just north of the border between the United States and Mexico. Surveyed in 1939, the map reveals a rugged mining and ranching economy defined by the Tumacacori, Atascosa Mountains, and Pajarito Mountains. The presence of the Dos Amigos Mine near California Gulch and the White Oak Mine further east illustrates the era's mineral exploration, while a network of springs and tanks like Corral Nuevo Spring and Atascosa Spring supported the scattered ranching outposts.

Local history is preserved in the detailed mapping of private holdings, including Blankenship Ranch, Bear Valley Ranch, and the large Baca Float No 3 boundary. Notable landmarks like the Atascosa Lookout and Thumb Butte provided high-ground observation points over the deep canyons of Peck Canyon and Pena Blanca Canyon. The map captures a specific moment before modern development, where the Tucson-Nogales Highway served as the region's main artery and a cemetery at Ruby marked the quiet presence of this borderland community.