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1940 Map of Castle Rock

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Castle Rock
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The confluence of rail and ranching defines this mid-century landscape in Douglas County, centered on the growing community of Castle Rock. Two major rail lines, the Denver and Rio Grande Western RR and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR, parallel the course of Plum Creek, serving local shipping points at Sedalia and Louviers Sta. The map documents a period when rural schoolhouses like Gann Sch and Oakland Sch still served localized agricultural districts, and social life centered on landmarks like the Pikes Peak Grange Hall.

Evidence of early water management and industry is prominent, from the site of the Old Castlewood Dam on Cherry Creek to the Clay Mine just south of the county seat. Prominent topographical features such as Dawson Butte and Wildcat Pt overlook the sprawling network of gulches—including McMurdo Gulch and Mitchell Gulch—that drain the surrounding timber and pasture lands of the Pike National Forest.