1962 Map of Drake

About this map

Big Thompson River carves through this Larimer County landscape, serving as the central artery for the mountain communities of Drake, Midway, and Waltonia. The geography is defined by the steep elevation changes within the Roosevelt National Forest, where infrastructure like the Aqueduct and Loveland Powerplant indicates the valley's role in regional water and power management during the early 1960s. High-altitude clearings like Cedar Park and Galuchie Park break the forest canopy, while the Hyatt Mine north of Palisade Mountain points to earlier prospecting efforts in the gulches. Local facilities such as the State Fish Hatchery near the confluence of the North Fork Big Thompson River and family-named landmarks like Spruce Mountain provide specific coordinates for those researching the area's development and natural resource history before modern expansion.