1902 Map of Boulder

About this map

Mining settlements and complex mountain rail systems define this landscape at the turn of the century. The Colorado and Northwestern RR snakes through the canyons, serving high-altitude camps like Gold Hill and the industrial hub at Wallstreet. This 1902 survey, conducted by Frank Tweedy, captures the height of the regional extraction era, showing the infrastructure of the Golden Rule Mining Co Ditch and numerous named elevations like Emancipation Hill and Nugget Hill. In the valleys, established towns like Lyons and Boulder anchor the eastern edge of the Front Range, while the steep drainages of North St. Vrain Creek and Fourmile Creek provide the narrow corridors for both water and transport. The map records several small communities such as Sunshine, Jamestown, and Springdale before later automotive travel and landscape changes altered their original layouts.