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1952 Map of Anvil Points

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Anvil Points
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Naval Oil Shale Reserve dominates this high-altitude landscape in Garfield County, showcasing the mid-century industrial focus on energy extraction. This survey reveals the infrastructure of the Bureau of Mines Oil Shale Experiment Station, including a Plant Farm, a Weather Station, and specialized Anvil Points Oil Shale Mines. The geography is defined by the sharp transition between the Roan Plateau and the dramatic Roan Cliffs, where numerous steep drainages like Third Water Gulch and Golden Castle Gulch carve into the escarpment.

Local settlement and support sites are found at Glover Park and Anvil Points, while the Rulison Oil Shale Mine (Inactive) points to earlier mining efforts near Cottonwood Point. The complex network of gully and creek labels, such as East Fork Parachute Creek and Second Anvil Creek, provides a granular look at the hydrological features and inaccessible terrain that shaped the development of this strategic federal reserve during the early Cold War era.