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1951 Map of Theba

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Theba
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Gillespie Ranch and the small railroad siding of Theba define this desert landscape just south of the Gila River in the early 1950s. The region is a study in desert reclamation and transportation, where the Southern Pacific tracks run parallel to the Gila Bend Canal and a network of irrigation channels. Agriculture and aviation meet at the Gillespie Airfield and other private airstrips, which supported local ranching operations.

Southward, the terrain shifts abruptly from the irrigated flats into the White Hills and the craggy heights of the Sauceda Mountains. Large tracts of land are designated as part of the Williams Military Reservation, while the northern edge of the map includes a portion of the Gila Bend Indian Res. Cultural markers like the Cemetery near the river and the Smurr siding provide important touchstones for genealogical research in this sparsely populated stretch of Maricopa County.