Desert Well Arizona Apache Junction Mesa USGS Topo Map 1906

Desert Well Arizona Apache Junction Mesa USGS Topo Map 1906

$75

Printed in its year of first publication, 1906, this USGS 15-minute topographic sheet is an antique in good condition, never folded and printed on thick stock, with light age-toning and some handling wear on the bottom. Engraved in 1906 from a 1904 field survey under geographer E.M. Douglas, it takes in the country east of Phoenix around Mesa, with the quad area reaching across Maricopa and Pinal counties to include Queen Creek, Apache Junction, and portions of the Tonto National Forest and Salt River Indian Reservation. The sheet shows this stretch of desert as it stood at the turn of the last century, decades before the suburban growth that would fill in much of the land between Mesa and the mountains, and the reverse carries printed reference material on reading the map. Minor edge tears in the collar have been carefully stabilized with clear archival tape on the back.

In stock

SKU: 341 Categories: 15 Minute, Arizona

Details
Description

MAP DETAILS
TITLE	Desert Well
STATE	Arizona
LOCATION	Vicinity of Mesa, 25 miles east of Phoenix
SERIES	15-minute
SURVEYED	1904 Field Survey
GEOGRAPHER	E.M. Douglas
ENGRAVED	1906
EDITION	1906
PRINTED	1906
SCALE	1:62500
CONTOUR INTERVAL	50 feet
SHEET DIMENSIONS	17 x 21 inches (approximate)
MAP DIMENSIONS	14 5/8 x 17 1/2 inches
COVERAGE AREA	14 x 17 miles
SHEET CONDITION For maps of this vintage, effort is made to note all visible flaws, no matter how minor.
OVERALL CONDITION	Good
SHEET NOTES	never folded, lightly age-toned sheet, some handling wear on bottom portion of sheet
MAP AREA	no wear, no blemishes, minor pencil markings found in southwest portion of map
COLLARS	no markings, no blemishes, minor edge tears carefully stabilized with clear archival tape on backside of sheet
MAP COVERAGE Quadrangle extent overlaid on current basemap.

BACKSIDE LEGEND
A map summary is printed on the back side of the Desert Well sheet similar to the one shown in the picture. It outlines the history, purpose, and status of the USGS mapping program at the time of the printing in 1906. It also provides instructions on how to read contour lines and a description of how they are used to depict the terrain. At the bottom of the page is a legend showing all of the symbols used to represent the cultural, relief, and water features found on the map.

This antique sheet is a 1906 edition of the Desert Well Arizona USGS topographic map. It is an authentic 120-year-old United States Geological Survey print in good condition.

HOW THIS MAP CAN BE USED
In addition to making a fascinating conversation piece, this sheet would look great in a frame or on display, make a unique and prized gift for anyone interested in this area, be perfect as a reference for genealogy studies or general historical research, or fill that missing piece in your collection.

FEATURES SHOWN ON THE MAP
The Desert Well 15-minute map shows cities and towns, roads, railroads, rivers, creeks, elevation contour lines, public land survey lines, county, state, and other administrative boundaries as they existed at the time of the survey in 1904. All known structures (houses, businesses, churches, schools, barns, cabins, etc) are also shown, with exceptions in some urban areas, where only landmark buildings may be shown.

A VALUABLE HISTORICAL RECORD
Maps from the 15-minute series for the continental United States are no longer produced or printed by the USGS and original prints are becoming increasingly difficult to find. They are a valuable historical record for an area, as they contain many placenames and features that have been dropped from more recent maps.

PLACENAMES
The following places are found within the boundary of this quadrangle. They may or may not be shown or labeled, depending on the map series and vintage.
* Cities and Towns-> Apache Junction, Germann, Gilbert, Gold Camp, Higley, Mesa, and Queen Creek
* Counties Covered-> Maricopa and Pinal
* Federal Land Units-> Rittenhouse Air Force Auxiliary Field, Salt River Indian Reservation, Tonto National Forest, and Williams Air Force Base (Closed)
* Rivers and Streams-> Bulldog Wash, Queen Creek, Salt River, and Weekes Wash