1971 Map of Fishers Peak

About this map

The massive Beaubien and Miranda and Maxwell Land Grant boundaries dominate this high-desert landscape, highlighting the complex history of territorial land tenure in southern Colorado. Centered on the flat-topped volcanic landmark of Fishers Peak, the map reveals a rugged terrain carved by drainage systems like Capulin Creek and San Miguel Creek. In the lower elevations, industrial and agricultural footprints appear along the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad line and the Raton Creek valley. Evidence of early resource extraction is found at the Grave Mines and various gas wells, while the presence of a Corral and named springs such as Cassiddays Spring suggest a long history of ranching on the Mesa. Small pockets of settlement like San Miguel represent the sparse population centers that persisted in this high-altitude environment during the early 1970s.