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1957 Map of Coal Creek

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Coal Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Military operations and dry creek beds define this mid-century landscape on the border of Adams and Arapahoe Counties. The western edge is dominated by the Naval Air Station (Buckley Field), while the southern reaches are occupied by the extensive Lowry Air Force Base Bombing Range. This area serves as a critical buffer zone of defense infrastructure just east of the developing Denver metro area, showing the significant footprint of the Cold War-era military presence in the High Plains.

Away from the airfields, the map traces the intricate drainage patterns of Coal Creek, Toll Gate Creek, and Murphy Creek as they cut through the terrain. Local education is marked by the presence of the Coal Creek Sch and the site of the Box Elder School near the northern boundary. Transportation is anchored by the Union Pacific line and early thoroughfares like Hampden Road and Airline Road, reflecting a landscape transitioning from rural grazing and gravel extraction to strategic military use.