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1965 Map of Bowie

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Bowie
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Bowie and the nearby Juanita Junction serve as the primary focal points of human activity in this 1965 survey, situated where industrial infrastructure meets the natural drainage of the Gunnison River. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the river valley to elevated plateaus like Lennox Mesa and Pitkin Mesa, which are crisscrossed by irrigation networks including the Stewart Ditch and Farmers Ditch.

Extraction and transit drive the local economy, as evidenced by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad following the river’s path to serve operations like the Bowie Mine. Further north, the terrain becomes increasingly complex within the Gunnison National Forest, where labels like Morrell Cow Camp and Spruce Stomp suggest a history of high-altitude ranching and timber use. Small-scale mining is peppered throughout the drainages, from the Blue Ribbon Mine in the east to the Converse Mine tucked into the western gulches.