1948 Map of Wheeler Peak

About this map

The Snake Range dominates this landscape, rising sharply from the eastern edge of Baking Powder Flat. This 1948 survey reveals a specialized resource economy of ranching and mining on the high desert of eastern Nevada. High-altitude peaks like Wheeler Pk and Baker Pk provide the runoff for a series of small ranching operations tucked against the mountain front, including Robinson Ranch, Floyd Smith Ranch, and Swallow Ranch. A cluster of activity is visible at Minerva, which sits near a complex of tungsten and silver operations such as the Tungsten Queen Mine and Silver Bell Mine. The community infrastructure of the period is evidenced by the Shoshone PO and Consolidated Sch No 2, while the Cement Pipe Factory along Highline Road suggests local industrial efforts to manage precious water via an extensive system of ditches and artesian wells.