1957 Map of Trona

About this map

Searles Lake and the industrial settlement of Trona dominate this mid-century landscape where potash and mineral extraction meet the high desert. The map captures a transitional era for the northern Mojave Desert, showing the established mining communities of Johannesburg and Red Mountain alongside the growth of Ridgecrest. Significant military and scientific presence is evident through the US Naval Weapons Center and NAF China Lake, while the eastern portion of the sheet documents the remote reaches of Death Valley National Monument. Local mineral history is visible in the placement of the Kelly Mine and Gold Bottom Mine, as well as the specialized transport networks of the Southern Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads which serviced the region's boron and salt works.