1953 Map of Ferris

About this map

The Ferris Mountains dominate the northern landscape of this Carbon County quadrangle, where the high ridges give way to an expansive field of sand dunes and sagebrush. In the early 1950s, the area's economy centered on energy extraction and cattle ranching, marked by the General Petroleum Oil Field and various isolated oil wells. The small settlement of Ferris serves as a central point, connected by a pipe line and unimproved roads to outlying homesteads. The map documents the shifting nature of high-desert life, noting several sites like Marvin Place as abandoned, while others like Larsen Place and the Mc Cargar Place represent the persistent ranching footprint in this environment. Water is a critical and scarce resource here, evidenced by the numerous named springs and seasonal drainages like Stone Creek and Riddle Creek that flow toward Rinshaw Lake.