1958 Map of Thousand Palms

About this map

The Coachella Valley emerges as a land of mid-century desert development and vital water infrastructure in this late 1950s survey. Irrigation and access define the landscape, with the Colorado River Aqueduct Tunnels cutting through the Little San Bernardino Mountains and the Coachella Canal skirting the valley floor. Settlement is concentrated around thermal springs and agriculture, notably at Desert Hot Springs and Thousand Palms, while the Agua Caliente Indian Reservation encompasses significant portions of the desert terrain.