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1956 Map of Williams

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Williams
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad corridor defines the settlement patterns of this mid-century northern Arizona landscape, threading through the high desert and mountain passes. Small rail stops and ranching communities like Hackberry, Valentine, and Peach Springs follow the tracks and the path of Highway 66, which had already become a legendary artery for cross-country travel by this 1956 survey. This alignment skirts the massive Hualapai Indian Reservation and the southern rim of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, where the Colorado River carves through the western plateau.

Industrial and natural landmarks are noted throughout the terrain, from the Music Mountain Mine (Gold) in the west to the dense timber of the Kaibab National Forest near Williams. Large-scale geographic transitions are visible as the Grand Wash Cliffs give way to the vast Aubrey Valley and Chino Valley. These topographic shifts dictated the movement of both early prospectors and later mid-century infrastructure as they navigated the volcanic heights and arid basins.