1948 Map of Black Hawk

About this map

Mining heritage and complex Front Range topography define this 1940s survey of the Gilpin County gold districts. Centered on the narrow canyons of North Clear Creek, the map details the high-altitude urban footprints of Black Hawk and neighboring Central City during a period of postwar transition. The landscape is a dense network of gulches and family-named landmarks, such as Justice Hill and Banta Hill, reflecting decades of intensive prospecting and settlement. Away from the primary towns, the map traces the vital infrastructure of the era, including the Golden Gate Canyon Road and remote educational outposts like the Mountain House Sch and Bay State Sch. The southern reaches show active extraction sites like the Summit Mine, while the northern area transitions into the timbered slopes of the Roosevelt National Forest and Arapaho National Forest.