1959 Map of Coal Draw

About this map

Ranching life across the high plains of the Campbell and Converse County line is documented here in detail. The landscape is defined by its water sources, where family operations like the Fred Taylor Ranch and Spracklin Ranch established themselves along vital drainages. The map reveals the vital importance of irrigation and water management in this arid environment, specifically through the Betty Supply Ditch and the Reynolds Reservoir in the southeast. Education in these isolated ranching communities was centered at the Ditta Sch, a lonely landmark in a territory otherwise marked only by wide-set homesteads and winding creeks. From the Antelope Flat in the north to the North Fork Cheyenne River at the southern edge, the topography shows a complex network of draws and gulches, including the aptly named Stinking Water Creek and Calamity Gulch.