1960 Map of Anderson Mesa

About this map

The Dolores River carves a winding, serpentine path through this high-plateau landscape on the border of Montrose and San Miguel counties. The 1960 revision shows a region defined by its resource extraction and water management, where numerous mining operations such as the Morning Star Mine, The Raven Mine, and American Eagle Mine dot the slopes of Silveys Pocket and Anderson Mesa. This industrial activity is contrasted by the survival of vital water sources in an arid environment, including Muleshoe Bend Reservoir and East Island Mesa Spring. The intricate canyon topography drops sharply from flat-topped features like Island Mesa and Ray Mesa into the Little Gypsum Valley, where an isolated Airstrip suggests the remote logistical needs of mid-century canyon country mining and ranching.