1954 Map of Greenland

About this map

Greenland and its surrounding ranch lands occupy a high-country landscape defined by prominent buttes and the parallel tracks of major western railroads. This 1954 record shows the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and the Denver and Rio Grande Western lines following the valley of Carpenter Creek. These transit corridors were essential for the cattle operations at Greenland Ranch and Lincoln Ranch, which supported a rural community evidenced by the Spring Valley School (Aband) and Spring Valley Cem. The terrain is marked by distinctive elevations such as Rattlesnake Butte, True Mountain, and Best Butte. This document captures the Douglas and El Paso county line at a time when ranching still dominated the region, prior to the significant suburban expansion from the north and south.