1954 Map of Ellicott

About this map

High plains ranching and rural infrastructure define this landscape east of Colorado Springs in the mid-1950s. The small settlement of Ellicott serves as a local hub, anchored by the Ellicott Consolidated School and the El Paso Telephone Exchange, indicating the area's role as a vital communications and educational center for the surrounding prairie. The terrain is defined by the ephemeral drainage of Black Squirrel Creek and a network of windmills, essential for supporting livestock at locations like Alger Ranch and Book Ranch. Small topographic elevations such as Hidden and Ward rise above the flats, while the southern portion of the sheet shows the Drennan School, another marker of the era's decentralized rural school system. This survey preserves a transition period before modern expansion, capturing a time when local life revolved around these isolated ranching outposts and a modest network of unpaved roads.