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1893 Map of Fort Steele

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Fort Steele
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1934
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1934

About this map

The Union Pacific Ry cuts across this high-desert landscape, following a vital transport corridor through Carbon County during the late nineteenth century. Small settlements like Hanna, Dana, and Percy line the tracks, serving as critical stops for steam locomotives and the emerging coal industry of the region. Near the western edge of the sheet, Fort Steele sits strategically along the North Platte River, marking an era when military outposts were essential for protecting the transcontinental rail line.

To the southeast, the terrain rises sharply toward the northern edge of the Medicine Bow National Forest, dominated by the massive profile of Elk Mt. Waterways such as Pass Creek, Rattlesnake Creek, and Lake Creek drain these highlands, providing the scarce water resources necessary for early ranching and the maintenance of the railroad towns. The map illustrates a transitional period when the wilderness of the North Platte River valley was being integrated into the industrial network of the American West.