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1961 Map of Cattle Creek

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Cattle Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Cattle Creek and its surrounding mountain terrain are defined by the industrial activity of the early 1960s, where the Roaring Fork River valley serves as a corridor for the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad. The landscape is marked by the legacy of resource extraction, seen in the Abandoned Tramway leading from the Black Diamond Mine and the presence of the Sunlight Mine. Water management is critical in this environment, evidenced by a complex network of irrigation systems including the Sweet-Jessup Canal, Kaiser-Sievers Ditch, and Greenwood Ditch.

Deep within the White River National Forest, the terrain transitions from the high ridges of the Dry Park to the drainage of Fourmile Creek. Genealogists and local historians may find interest in the solitary grave marked near the river or the site of the Crystal River Ranch. The map also captures the remnants of former transport routes, such as the Old Fourmile Railroad Grade, which once connected these remote mining operations to the larger rail networks.