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1916 Map of Craig

Name: 1916 Topographic Map of Craig
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Craig stands as a vital hub in Northwest Colorado during the early twentieth century, situated along the Yampa River and the terminus of the Denver and Salt Lake railroad. This survey captures a sprawling landscape of ranching and livestock operations, where family holdings like the Timberlake Ranch, Davidson Ranch, and O V O Ranch dot the high country between the Little Snake River and the southern river valleys. To the west, the settlement of Lay and its Lay Valley School represent the localized community centers that supported the region's homesteaders.

The topography is defined by the massive Iron Springs Divide, which separates the drainages flowing toward the Wyoming border from those feeding the Yampa. Geologists and local historians can trace the early road networks, including the Baggs and Maybell Road, that connected remote outposts such as Teters Ranch and Booth Ranch across the Colorado Wyoming Boundary Line. The presence of numerous named springs, such as Jackrabbit Spring and Adobe Springs, underscores the critical importance of water rights in this arid ranching frontier.