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1915 Map of Searles Lake

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Searles Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Randsburg and Johannesburg anchor this 1915 survey of the Mojave Desert, illustrating the mining-driven development of the El Paso Mountains and surrounding ranges. The landscape is defined by the extraction of minerals, evidenced by the Soda Works on the edge of Searles Lake and numerous isolated claims like the Arando Mine and Star of the West Mine. A critical network of water sources, from Indian Joe Spring to Koehn Spring, dictated the survival of early settlements and desert camps.

Transportation infrastructure reflects the industrial needs of the era, with the Trona RR and Owenyo Branch connecting remote sidings such as Rademacher Siding and Mabel Siding to larger markets. The map also captures the early boundaries of Death Valley National Monument and the extensive Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, marking a transition from pioneer mining towards federal land management and military use.