1957 Map of Chromo

About this map

The Little Navajo River and its numerous tributaries carve through the high-elevation terrain of southwestern Colorado, revealing a landscape defined by ranching and resource extraction in the late 1950s. Small settlements like Edith, Ewell, and the community of Chromo dot the southern reaches near the Colorado New Mexico border, where the land transitions from the high peaks of the Chalk Mountains to the broad mesas. The presence of several Oil Wells and an Artesian Well suggests active exploration during this era, while the Squaretop Guard Station indicates the administrative presence of the San Juan National Forest. The map detail follows the complex hydrology of the region, from the Blanco Basin in the north down to the Coyote Creek drainage, showing a network of Pack Trails that served as vital connections through the Klutter Mtn and Chromo Mtn backcountry before modern road expansion.