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1959 Map of Bonanza

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Bonanza
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

The high-altitude mining district surrounding Bonanza and the Kerber City site dominates this late 1950s survey of the Saguache and Chaffee county line. The landscape is heavily marked by late 19th-century silver-mining infrastructure, featuring an extensive network of named mines like the Rawley Mine, Cocomongo Mine, and Minnie Lynch Mine. The presence of the Superior Mill and Little Bonanza Mill alongside the local Graveyard provides a clear view of the industrial and social footprint of these isolated mountain communities.

Transportation through the mountains follows the rugged topography of the Continental Divide, which snakes through the western portion of the quadrangle. An Old Railroad Grade serves as a reminder of the narrow-gauge lines that once serviced the district, passing through Mears Junction and ascending toward Marshall Pass. To the east, the terrain drops toward the valley of San Luis Creek, where the Villa Grove Mine and the historic Shirley site mark the transition from the high peaks of Antora Peak and Mount Ouray to the lower-elevation ranch lands.