Loading map...

1955 Map of Elk Mountain

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Elk Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

The town of Elk Mountain serves as the focal point of this Carbon County landscape, situated along the Medicine Bow River at a point where the river meanders through lush bottoms. The area's deep ties to frontier history are physically marked by the Overland Trail, which cuts across the terrain as a reminder of early westward migration. This 1955 survey (updated with early 1980s data) reveals a landscape defined by ranching and resource extraction, where family-named holdings like Boles Ranch and Dolling Ranch dot the valleys.

Industrial activity is evident near the river, including a Coal Mine and multiple gravel pits. Water management is critical in this environment, shown by a complex network of ditches and sloughs, such as O'Mara Slough and Haglund Slough, which help navigate the varied terrain of the Alpha Tableland. The settlement at Elk Mountain includes the Elk Mountain Cem and a Historical Marker, anchoring the community's local heritage.