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1907 Map of Durango

Name: 1907 Topographic Map of Durango
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Durango serves as the industrial hub for the Animas Valley on this early 20th-century survey, which details the region's transition from raw wilderness to a mining and transportation center. The local economy is anchored by the Durango Smelter and the Boston Coal Mine near the settlement of Perins. Further north, resource extraction is represented by the Neglected Mine and Oro Fino Mill tucked into the high gulches.

The rugged terrain of the San Juan National Forest is traversed by the Denver and Rio Grande R. R. and the Rio Grande Southern R. R., which trace the narrow valley floors. Agricultural development is evident through features like the John Reed Ditch, while the valley's social and recreational beginnings appear at Pinkerton Hot Springs and Baker Bridge. This revision captures the landscape before modern expansion, preserving the locations of early outposts like Rockwood and Hermosa.