Loading map...

1949 Map of Gateway

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Gateway
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Gateway occupies a strategic bend where West Creek meets the Dolores River, serving as a central point in this late-1940s landscape of high mesas and deep canyons. The presence of the United States Atomic Energy Commission in the margin points to the era's intensifying interest in uranium mining, reflected on the ground by the Tenderfoot Camp and the Mammoth Mine located along the eastern slopes.

The topography is dominated by dramatic elevations like The Palisade and the high Uncompahgre Mesa, which transitions into the Uncompahgre National Forest. Long-established routes like the Pickett Trail wind through a complex system of drainage draws and canyons, including Larsen Canyon and John Brown Canyon, illustrating the challenging logistics of early mineral exploration and ranching in this corner of Mesa County.