1972 Map of Yale Crossing

About this map

Escalante Valley defines the arid character of this Iron County landscape during the early 1970s, where infrastructure is dictated by the essential search for water and the legacy of transportation. The Union Pacific railroad cuts through the northern sector, passing by Yale Crossing and an adjacent Old RR Grade that hints at earlier alignments or industrial spurs. This region is a testament to the desert's agricultural and mining history, marked by the extensive Escalante Mine Canal and numerous scattered water sources such as Auston Well and Bridle Well. The grid of sections is tied together by rural routes like Hunt Road and Beryl Road, while the natural drainage of Hogans Wash meanders across the sagebrush-dotted flats. The map reflects an era of groundwater extraction and rail transport in this sparsely settled portion of southwestern Utah.