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1956 Map of Tucson

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Tucson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

Tucson dominates the central valley floor in this mid-century portrait of southern Arizona, where the burgeoning desert city is bordered by the Santa Catalina Mountains and the sprawling Saguaro National Monument. The landscape is a study in 1950s infrastructure and industrial expansion, from the heavy copper operations at the San Manuel Mine to the bustling corridors of the Southern Pacific railroad and U S 80. To the north and west, the agricultural geometry of the Santa Cruz Flats near Eloy and Cesa Grande contrasts sharply with the vast tribal lands of the Papago Indian Reservation.

Strategic military and archaeological sites provide anchor points for the era, including the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the city's edge and the ancient structures of the Casa Grande Ruins Nat Mon. The drainage patterns of the Santa Cruz River and the San Pedro River define the natural boundaries between the many named ranges, such as the Galiuro Mountains and the Rincon Mountains, capturing a specific moment in Arizona's post-war growth.