1947 Map of Soledad Mountain

About this map

The Soledad Mountain massif rises sharply from the floor of the western Mojave Desert, its slopes marked by a high concentration of hard-rock mining operations following the post-Depression gold boom. This 1947 survey, compiled from aerial photography, captures the peak of extraction at sites like the Golden Queen Mine, Bobtail Mines, and Tip Top Mine. Further south, the Tropico Mine sits near the base of the foothills, illustrating the industrial footprint on this arid landscape. The eastern edge of the quadrangle is defined by the logistics of the era, where the Southern Pacific railroad corridor supports a string of desert sidings and small settlements, including Gloster, Actis, and Ansel. These points of transit served as vital links for moving ore and supplies between the isolated mining camps and larger regional centers.