1971 Map of Bates Lake

About this map

Poitrey and Simpson anchor this high-plains landscape in Las Animas County, captured during a 1971 field survey. The terrain is defined by the broad expanse of the Tyrone Flats and the drainage of the Apishapa River, which borders the Apishapa Game Management Area. The map reveals a livestock-centric economy dependent on scattered water sources, including Bates Lake, Baker Reservoir, and numerous named windmills such as Epperson Windmill and the Smith Ranch Windmill. A significant historical corridor is preserved here, as the map identifies the approximate location of the Santa Fe and Topeka Trail running parallel to the modern tracks of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad near Timpas Creek. These overlapping transportation routes through Elmore Arroyo and East Cross Canyon illustrate the long-standing importance of this path for travel and commerce across the Colorado plains.