1973 Map of Twelve Guage Lake

About this map

Twelve Gauge Lake and the settlement of Harper define this arid stretch of the High Desert during the early 1970s. The landscape is a study in industrial and transportation corridors, dominated by the heavy rail infrastructure of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad and a network of high-pressure Pipelines cutting across the basin. To the southwest, the Hawes Auxiliary Airport remains a prominent landmark of military and aviation history, situated near several Mines and Prospects that pepper the terrain. In the southeast, the slopes of Iron Mountain rise above the valley floor, where a grid of rural roads like Phoenix Rd and Salinas Rd connect scattered Wells and Dry Wells, reflecting the challenges of desert water management and land use during this era.