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1940 Map of Sierra Bonita Ranch

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Sierra Bonita Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Sierra Bonita Ranch and Eureka Ranch (Headquarters) anchor this high-desert landscape in Graham County, where the 1940 survey reveals a complex network of cattle ranching and water management. The terrain is defined by the Galiuro Mountains to the west and the southern edge of the Coronado National Forest to the north, with the drainage of Aravaipa Creek cutting through the canyons. Notable for local history, the map identifies specific family-named landmarks and infrastructure of the era, including the Sunset School, the Kennedy Cem, and a Landing Field near Eureka.

A reliance on localized water sources is evident through the naming of numerous windmills, such as Little Windmill and Bull Pasture Windmill, alongside natural features like the Hooker Cienega. The presence of the President Mine in the northern hills and several labeled abandoned sites, such as the Shotgun Smith Ranch (Abandoned), provides evidence of shifting settlement patterns and industrial attempts within these remote Arizona canyons before the mid-century.