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1895 Map of Aspen

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Aspen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1939
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1939

About this map

Aspen serves as the industrial hub of this high-altitude landscape, captured here during the peak of its silver-mining era. The confluence of the Roaring Fork and Castle Creek marks the town site, which is flanked by the massive refining capacity of the Holden Works and prestigious operations like the Molly Gibson Mine and Park Regent Mine. The arrival of dual rail lines—the Denver and Rio Grande R. R. and the A. T. and S. F. R. R.—underscores the region's rapid economic integration at the end of the 19th century.

Beyond the central settlement, the map traces the silver veins deep into the surrounding mountains, reaching the mining camp of Ashcroft and the Little Annie Mine on Richmond Hill. The terrain is dominated by high peaks including Maroon Peak, Pyramid Peak, and Castle Peak, much of which is situated within the early boundaries of the Holy Cross National Forest and Gunnison National Forest. This survey provides a remarkable record of the infrastructure required to extract wealth from such a vertical landscape, from the isolated Montezuma Mine to the high meadows of Tourtelotte Park.