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1943 Map of Sierra Bonita Ranch

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Sierra Bonita Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Sulphur Spring Valley dominates this high-desert landscape in the early 1940s, a region characterized by remote cattle operations and the early development of rural infrastructure. The Eureka Ranch and the historic Sierra Bonita Ranch anchor the local economy, supported by a network of specialized water sources such as the Birdcage Windmill and Hooker Cienega. The map captures a moment when travel relied on routes like the Bonita Aravaipa Road and the Old Serpentine Road, the latter already falling into disuse.

Evidence of social and industrial life appears through the Sunset School, isolated family burial grounds like Whalen Cem, and the President Mine in the foothills. The presence of a Landing Field near Aravaipa Creek suggests the increasing importance of aviation in these expansive distances. Water management is a central theme, evidenced by the proposed Black Canyon Damsite and numerous springs scattered across the Crook National Forest.