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1929 Map of Grand Valley

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Grand Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1929
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1929

About this map

The Colorado River carves a deep path through the Western Slope in the late 1920s, serving as the primary corridor for the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad. This industrial and agricultural lifeline connects the town of Grand Valley in the northeast to De Beque in the southwest, passing small sidings and stops like Una and Kobe. The landscape is defined by extreme verticality, with the Book Plateau rising to the north and the heavily timbered Grand Mesa National Forest dominating the southern reaches.

Resource extraction and early energy development are central to this era, evidenced by the Naval Oil Shale Reserve and specialized settlements like American Shale Camp and Shale Camp. Rural life is anchored by family operations such as Cunningham Ranch and Barr Ranch, while local education is decentralized across several district buildings including Crawford Sch, Battlement Sch, and Wallace Creek Sch. The map records a transition in the region's economy, where traditional ranching and a Stone Quarry operated alongside the emerging shale oil industry.