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1955 Map of Wells

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Wells
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Humboldt River headwaters and the high-desert ranges of northeastern Nevada define this mid-century topographic study. The landscape is a corridor of transit, where the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific railroads trace the valleys, supported by a network of sidings like Fenelon Siding, Holborn Siding, and Valley Pass Siding. Significant ranching and mining hubs are scattered throughout the Independence Mountains and Pequop Mountains, including the high-altitude Charleston and the industrial site at Delano Mines.

Water management is central to the region's character, evidenced by the Wild Horse Reservoir and the extensive drainage of Thousand Springs Creek. The map documents the layout of Wells as a primary junction, while showing the more isolated footprints of settlements like Metropolis and Montello. From the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in the northwest to the crossing at Pequop Summit, the map captures the vast, interconnected nature of Great Basin livestock and mineral operations during the early 1970s revision.