1889 Map of Canon City

About this map

Royal Gorge and the narrow corridor of the Arkansas River dominate this late 19th-century landscape, where industrial progress follows the rugged topography. In the north, Canon City serves as a vital hub for the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad and the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad, which trace the river through the canyon toward Parkdale. To the south, the mining boom is in full swing within the Wet Mountains. Significant silver and gold operations are concentrated around the settlements of Silver Cliff, Rosita, and Querida. Genealogists and industrial historians will find the exact locations of the Bull Domingo Mine and Bassick Mine particularly valuable. Between the peaks and the river, smaller coal-producing towns like Rockvale, Williamsburg, and Coal Creek highlight the era's reliance on extractive industries and rail transport.