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1885 Map of Sevier Desert

Name: 1885 Topographic Map of Sevier Desert
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1885
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1885

About this map

Mining operations in the Tintic Mountains define the northeastern corner of this 1885 survey, where the boom settlements of Silver City, Diamond City, and Homansville cluster near Cataract Creek. The landscape transitions from these mineral-rich heights into the broad expanse of the Sevier Desert, bisected by the Central Pacific Railroad as it follows the Sevier River through Sevier Canyon.

Agricultural and transport hubs like Deseret and Lemington sit along the river's path, while the southern reaches show early settlement patterns at the base of the Canon Mountains, including Scipio and Holden. Grounded in the work of the Wheeler and Powell Surveys, this map documents the precise location of vital water sources such as Marmaduke Spring and Spring Lake, which were essential for survival and commerce in the arid terrain between Juab and Millard counties.