1958 Map of Beckwith Mountain

About this map

The Wet Mountain Valley in Custer County serves as a productive agricultural basin, defined by an intricate network of irrigation canals and early transport routes. Settlement is sparse, represented by places like San Isabel Ranch and The Pines, while the landscape is dominated by the massive heights of Beckwith Mountain and Beddows Mountain. The mapping reveals a carefully engineered water system, including the Upper Smith Kettle Ditch and the James Jarvis Swift Creek Ditch No 3, which diverted mountain runoff to the valley floor. Evidence of former industry remains visible in the Old Railroad Grade tracing the base of the peaks, while the San Isabel National Forest boundary marks the transition from open Prairie to the timbered slopes of the Sangre de Cristo range. Genealogists may find particular interest in the Ula Cem, a quiet record of early pioneer families in this high-altitude cattle country.