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1956 Map of Grand Junction

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Grand Junction
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The Colorado River corridor defines the southern axis of this 1956 survey, where the concentrated agriculture of Grand Junction, Fruita, and Palisade meets the dramatic rising terrain of the Book Cliffs and Grand Mesa. Following the path of the Denver & Rio Grande Western RR, the map reveals a network of small rail settlements and sidings like Agate Siding, Floy, and Cisco that once supported transportation across the high desert.

Industry and resource extraction are visible through numerous labels for Gas Field and Oil Well sites scattered across the Roan Plateau and Uintah Basin. This landscape is heavily shaped by its relief, from the sharp escarpments of the Roan Cliffs to the protected boundaries of the Colorado National Monument. Remote outposts such as Dragon, Atchee, and Watson highlight the reach of early development into the high canyons near the Utah-Colorado border.