1970 Map of Big Gulch

About this map

Fondis anchors the southern portion of this Elbert County landscape, where the High Plains drainage system is clearly defined by several significant watercourses. The drainage of West Bijou Creek and its tributary, Spring Branch West Bijou Creek, dominates the central terrain, while Comanche Creek and Big Gulch provide the primary geographic relief. Evidence of local industry and community infrastructure appears through labels for a Claypit and a rural Cem, indicating the small-scale economic and social activity of the area during the late 1960s. Transportation and utility corridors are represented by the transit of Freeze Road and a major Pipeline, showing the modern overlay on a traditional ranching and agricultural region. The map reflects a period of transition as infrastructure began to more prominently crisscross the open drainage basins of eastern Colorado.