Loading map...

1951 Map of Santa Rita

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Santa Rita
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The massive excavations of the North Pit Chino Mine and South Pit Chino Mine dominate the landscape in the early 1950s, signifying the scale of industrial mineral extraction in this part of the state. This period finds the mining town of Santa Rita tightly integrated into this industrial activity, with its rail connections via the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and Santa Rita Station. The map records a concentration of labor and infrastructure in the surrounding settlements of Hanover, Fierro, Wimsatville, and Turnerville, where features like the Hanover Sch and numerous shafts—including the Oswaldo No 1 Shaft and Princess Shaft—indicate a bustling mining economy.

Contrasting with the active pits are the Georgetown (Ruins) and the Georgetown Cem to the northeast, marking the location of an earlier boom period. The surrounding terrain of the Gila National Forest is defined by prominent landmarks such as the Kneeling Nun and Hermosa Mtn. This survey captures the transition from historic silver-era remnants to the mid-century dominance of open-pit copper mining.