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1959 Map of Silver Bell Peak

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Silver Bell Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Silver Bell Mountains dominate this 1959 landscape, where industrial mining and cattle ranching define the desert terrain northwest of Tucson. Heavy mineral extraction is evident at the Silver Bell settlement, flanked by a massive Tailings Pond and several workings including the Indiana-Arizona Mine and Silver Hill Mine. The eastern portion of the map transitions into the agricultural and transportation corridor of the Santa Cruz River valley, where the town of Marana sits near the junction of Hardin Road.

A network of infrastructure supports the region's mid-century economy, from the Western Avra Cotton Gin to the specialized Trico Compressor Sta. Remote outposts like Lords Ranch and Agua Blanco Ranch are scattered across the southern reaches near the Papago Indian Reservation boundary. Aviation history is preserved through the presence of military infrastructure, specifically Marana Auxiliary Airfield No 4 and Marana Auxiliary Airfield No 5, which served as flight training sites during the era.