1957 Map of Elk Ridge 4 NE

About this map

Mancos Jim Butte and the Bee Hives dominate this high-desert landscape in the southeastern reaches of the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Surveyed in the mid-1950s, the terrain is defined by dramatic drainage systems including Cottonwood Canyon and Brushy Basin Wash. The map reveals a land utilized for more than just its topography, showing a functional Aqueduct and a Gravel Pit indicative of early infrastructure development in this corner of San Juan County. For the historian or geographer, the prevalence of unnamed seasonal Spring sources and the network of rugged Jeep Tr routes trace the practical movement of people through this remote canyon country before the expansion of more modern road networks. Elevations are meticulously documented, from the heights of Porter VABM 7203 down to the creek beds of Johnson Creek.