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1898 Map of Engineer Mountain

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Engineer Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

San Juan National Forest defines the high-altitude landscape of this 1890s survey, where early industrial infrastructure began to mark the San Juan Mountains. The Denver and Rio Grande RR follows the narrow corridor of the Animas River, passing through Tacoma and by the hydroelectric Power House at the base of the Flume descending from Electra Lake.

Evidence of late 19th-century mountain travel and settlement appears along the eastern slopes, including the Old Tollgate and Hamor's Ranch near Purgatory Creek. The terrain is dominated by prominent summits such as Engineer Mtn and Grayrock Peak, while the western portion of the sheet remains largely wilderness, defined by the extensive drainage systems of Hermosa Creek and its many forks. These labels capture a moment when horse trails like the Butler Trail still served as vital links between isolated high-country points.