1966 Map of Barcus Creek

About this map

Pinto Mesa Windmill stands as a lonely landmark in this 1960s survey of Rio Blanco County, marking the sparse infrastructure of the high desert plateau. The landscape is defined by the intricate dendritic drainage systems of Barcus Creek and its many tributaries, including the North Fork, Middle Fork, and East Fork. These watercourses carve through the terrain, joined by Pinto Gulch and the North Fork Greasewood Creek. Evidence of resource exploration appears in the form of a Drill Hole located near the windmill, while the presence of several Jeep Trails indicates the limited network of travel through these canyons. The map captures a moment when the area was primarily used for grazing and early industrial surveying, before more modern developments altered the remote character of the northwestern Colorado frontier.