1954 Map of Wig Mtn NW

About this map

The Wendover Air Force Range dominates this mid-century topographic record of the Great Salt Lake Desert, reflecting the Cold War expansion of military testing grounds in the American West. The terrain is characterized by a stark, arid landscape where shifting Sand Dunes and low-lying salt flats meet the western edge of the Dugway Proving Ground. Based on aerial photography from 1953 and field surveys in 1954, the map reveals a wilderness virtually devoid of civilian infrastructure, emphasizing instead the vastness required for military operations. These large-scale land withdrawals were instrumental to the region's mid-century development, turning remote desert basins into restricted tactical corridors for aerospace and defense research.