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1959 Map of Florence

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Florence
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The Arkansas River corridor serves as the industrial and logistical spine for this 1959 survey, where the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad connects the settlements of Florence and Portland. The landscape transitions from the river valley into a complex network of canyons and plateaus to the north, characterized by the dramatic Phantom Canyon and the Brush Hollow Reservoir. Significant local infrastructure is evident at the Fremont County Airport and the University of Oklahoma Summer Geology Camp, which highlights the area's geological importance for academic study during the mid-century.

Tracing the irrigation and water management patterns reveals the importance of the Minnequa Canal and the Beaver Creek drainage to the community of Penrose. Genealogists will find particular value in the documentation of the Penrose Cem and the San Juan Bautisa Cem, located near the southern bends of the river. The presence of a Quarry and various gravel pits near the rail lines underscores the era's reliance on the local extraction industry.