1893 Map of Colorado Springs

About this map

Colorado Springs serves as the central hub of a complex rail network in the late nineteenth century, where industrial coal towns like Franceville meet the early tourist gateways of the Front Range. The landscape is defined by the meeting of the high plains and the foothills, featuring the world-renowned Garden of the Gods and the steep ascent of the Manitou and Pikes Peak RR (Cog Wheel). Topographer Willard D. Johnson and geographer A.H. Thompson recorded a period of rapid expansion, documenting the routes of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad and the Colorado Midland Railroad as they pushed through the canyons. Beyond the city, the map reveals local landmarks such as Burial Rocks and Corral Bluffs, alongside smaller settlements like Edgerton and Falcon that supported the region's ranching and mining interests.