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1956 Map of Sacaton NE

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Sacaton NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

The Southern Pacific railroad corridor defines this mid-century landscape of the Sonoran Desert, cutting a straight diagonal across the basin near the border of Maricopa Co and Pinal Co. In this era before widespread suburbanization, the map reveals a sparsely settled territory focused on rail transit and emerging agriculture. Significant military infrastructure is present at the Rittenhouse AF Auxiliary Field in the north, while the southern reaches show early industrial and farming outposts like Bellavista Farms and the settlement of Magma.

Ephemeral water management is a visible priority, with a Diversion Dike and numerous wells and water tanks scattered near the shifting bed of Queen Creek. To the southwest, the desert floor gives way to the prominent rises of Goldmine Mountain, where small shafts indicate mineral exploration. This 1956 survey, updated with 1973 revisions, captures the Pinal County interior as it transitioned from an open desert range to a structured landscape of transit and irrigation.