1893 Map of Crested Butte

About this map

Crested Butte serves as the focal point for this late 19th-century reconnaissance, situated at the confluence of several mountain drainages and the terminal line of the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. To the north, the high-altitude mining camp of Gothic marks the northern extent of easy passage, nestled beneath Avery Peak. The landscape is defined by its extreme verticality, from the Saw-Tooth Range in the northeast to the massive peaks of White Rock Mt and Teocalli Mt. The drainage patterns are clearly delineated, showing how Cement Creek and the Slate River carve through the high country. Of particular note for researchers are the primitive wagon routes crossing Pearl Pass and Taylor Pass, providing a record of early mountain travel between the Gunnison and Roaring Fork watersheds during the height of the Colorado Silver Boom.