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1955 Map of Buena Vista

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Buena Vista
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Buena Vista serves as the central hub of this mid-century survey, situated where the Arkansas River meets the valley floor between the San Isabel National Forest and Pike National Forest. The map documents a diverse local economy and social infrastructure, ranging from the industrial presence of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad to the State Reformatory and the State Fish Hatchery. Higher elevations reveal a history of resource extraction at the Little Annie Mine, while the valley is dotted with local landmarks like the Rancho Sawatch and the Mt Olivet Cemetery.

Transport and education patterns of the era are clearly visible, including the Berrian Sch and Pine Creek Sch, alongside an Old Railroad Grade that hints at earlier transit corridors. The rugged eastern terrain is defined by West Buffalo Peak and East Buffalo Peak, while numerous drainages such as Fourmile Creek and Cottonwood Creek carve through the landscape toward the river, illustrating the complex hydrology of the Chaffee County high country.