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1949 Map of Superior

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Superior
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Magma Copper Mines and the town of Superior serve as the industrial anchor for this post-war survey, illustrating the complex infrastructure of a high-desert copper district. The landscape is heavily marked by extractive history, with a density of mining operations including the Belmont Mine and several defunct sites like the Silver King Mine (Aband) and Fortuna Mine (Aband). Beyond the residential blocks of Superior, the map details specialized mining features such as a Smelter, Slag Dump, and multiple Tailings Ponds along Queen Creek.

High peaks like Kings Crown Peak and Peachville Mountain overlook a network of washes and canyons, while the presence of the Superior Airport and Golf Course points to the community's mid-century development. Evidence of ranching appears at the edges of the Crook National Forest, specifically at J L Ranch and Rancho Rio. This topographical study effectively documents the transition from early frontier prospecting to the organized industrial scale of the 1940s.