1950 Map of Barnesville

About this map

The Cem (First Permanent Settlers in Weld Co 1840) stands as a primary historical anchor on this landscape, marking the burial site of the county's earliest pioneers near the South Platte River. In the mid-twentieth century, this agricultural region in Weld County was defined by a sophisticated network of irrigation, including the Riverside Intake Canal, Empire Intake Canal, and the North Side Lateral, which transformed the arid terrain along Crow Creek. The Union Pacific railroad corridor supported small hubs like Barnesville, where the Barnesville Station and Barnesville School served a community of homesteaders and ranchers. To the south, Kuner sits at the nexus of several irrigation ditches, while the presence of Wells Cow Camp and numerous windmills across the plains illustrates the enduring ranching economy of the era.