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1893 Map of Albany

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Albany
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Santa Fe Trail wagon tracks cut across the northern high plains in this 1890 reconnaissance survey of the Colorado-Kansas borderlands. The landscape is defined by its transit history and sparse early ranching, featuring the intersection of the historic east-west Santa Fe Trail and the north-south Texas Trail. These routes were vital arteries for cattle drives and settlers moving through Prowers and Baca counties.

Settlement is concentrated at a few key points like Albany and Minneapolis, while individual homesteading is represented by Kline Ranche. The hydrology of the region is dominated by intermittent drainages such as Two Butte Creek, Wolf Creek, and Sand Arroyo, highlighting the importance of reliable water sources like Butte Springs for travelers and livestock in this arid environment before the turn of the century.