1961 Map of Cow Creek Ranch

About this map

Cow Creek Ranch and several other family-named ranching operations anchor this landscape in the high plains of Carbon County. The map details a sophisticated network of water management, with numerous ditches and wells supporting the cattle economy along watercourses like South Spring Creek and Cow Creek. This reliance on local hydrology is further evidenced by the Anderson Reservoir in the southern portion of the sheet. Industrial and transit lines cross the terrain, including a section of the Union Pacific railroad and a rugged Jeep Trail that climbs the ridges. The southeastern corner is defined by the Encampment River, where the elevation begins to drop towards the river valley. The distribution of Hill Ranch, Trowbridge Ranch, and Silver Spur Ranch illustrates the large-acreage landholdings that characterized this region during the early 1960s.