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1958 Map of Silver City

Name: 1958 Topographic Map of Silver City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Silver City and the surrounding mining districts of southwestern New Mexico are meticulously documented in this mid-century survey, showcasing a landscape defined by the extraction of copper and silver. The map highlights the massive operations at the Chino Mine, Tyrone Mine, and Morenci Mine, illustrating the industrial scale of the region's economy. The Continental Divide winds through the high country, separating the drainages of the Gila River and the Mimbres River.

Transport and military history are central to this sheet, with the Southern Pacific RR and Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe RR connecting isolated rail towns like Lordsburg and Separ. The presence of the Fort Bayard Military Reservation and the remote outpost of Mogollon reflect the area's transition from an 1800s frontier to a vital mid-20th-century resource hub. From the dry expanse of Willcox Playa to the timbered reaches of the Gila National Forest, the map provides a comprehensive view of the high desert and mountain terrain spanning the Arizona-New Mexico border.