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1968 Map of Dripping Spring

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Dripping Spring
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Selders Ranch stands as a primary point of human settlement in this high plains landscape of Bent County during the late 1960s. The map reveals an intricate drainage system defined by the rugged carving of Rattlesnake Creek and the meandering path of Mud Creek, which flows southeast toward its confluence with the aptly named Little Angry Creek. The terrain is marked by numerous springs, most notably the eponymous Dripping Spring, which likely served as vital water sources in this semi-arid environment.

A long Pipeline bisects the eastern sections of the quadrangle, illustrating the infrastructure required to transport resources across the open range. In the north, a Gravel Pit indicates local industrial activity, while the network of unimproved roads and fence lines suggests a land dominated by ranching and resource extraction. The topography, mapped via aerial photography in 1967, captures a snapshot of rural Colorado before significant modern development altered these traditional ranching tracts.