1954 Map of Greenland

About this map

Greenland and its surrounding ranchlands occupy a landscape defined by prominent volcanic-style mesas and buttes, situated just north of the border between Douglas Co and El Paso Co. The transportation corridor along Carpenter Creek is anchored by the dual lines of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe and Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, which parallels the modern Interstate. This mid-century view shows a rural society in transition, where the Spring Valley School is already noted as abandoned, while the nearby Spring Valley Cem remains a fixture of the local genealogy. Prominent landmarks such as Rattlesnake Butte, Lincoln Mountain, and Bald Mountain rise sharply from the valley floor, providing a clear visual record of the topography before extensive suburbanization reached this section of the Front Range.