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1908 Map of Durango

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of Durango
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1908
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1908

About this map

Durango serves as the industrial and transportation hub of this southwestern Colorado region, where the Animas River corridor facilitates a dense network of mountain railroads. The town's economy is anchored by the Durango Smelter and several mining operations tucked into the surrounding gulches, including the Boston Coal Mine near Perins and the Neglected Mine on the slopes of Monument Hill. The transportation landscape is particularly complex, featuring the Denver and Silverton Line alongside the Animas Valley Consolidated Ditch R. R.

Beyond the urban center, the terrain is defined by the San Juan National Forest and high peaks like Animas City Mountain and Twin Buttes. Early resource management and infrastructure are visible in the Old Fish Hatchery, the John Reed Ditch, and the reach of the Rio Grande Southern R. R. heading west. These details illustrate a transitional era where traditional hard-rock mining and coal extraction began to integrate with established agricultural water systems like the Florida River ditches.