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1955 Map of Gould NW

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Gould NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

Coal extraction and ranching define this high-altitude landscape in Jackson County during the mid-1950s. The northern reaches are heavily marked by early mining operations, including the Manning Coal Mines, Sudduth Coal Mine, and Capron Coal Mine. These industrial sites sit amongst a complex network of seasonal drainage channels like Ballinger Draw and Sudduth Draw.

A significant water system converges here, where the Illinois River and Michigan River meet a series of tributaries such as Sage Hen Creek and Owl Creek. The presence of the Allard Ranch and Three Rivers Ranch suggests a landscape of active livestock grazing and irrigation, supported by an extensive system of unnamed ditches and reservoirs. This survey preserves the exact locations of resource-based infrastructure before many of these small-scale coal operations faded from the maps of the Rocky Mountain West.