1943 Map of Sierra Bonita Ranch

About this map

High desert cattle operations and remote mountain outposts define this 1940s landscape, anchored by the legendary Sierra Bonita Ranch and the Eureka Ranch. The terrain transitions from the heights of the Graham Mountains, home to the West Peak lookout and the Goldbug Tunnel, down into the Sulphur Spring Valley. Evidence of early livestock management and water rights is scattered throughout the drainages, including the Hooker Cienega and numerous labeled water improvements like Mesa Windmill and Crack Tank. Local education and community life are represented by the solitary Sunset School, while the presence of the Shotgun Smith Ranch and K H Ranch—both noted as abandoned—hints at the era's shifting settlement patterns. The geography is further marked by the Bonita Aravaipa Road and the President Mine, reflecting a dual economy of ranching and early mineral extraction.