1948 Map of Gypsum Gap

About this map

The Atomic Energy Commission appears in the margin of this postwar San Miguel County survey, signaling the era's focus on uranium and mineral resources in the Colorado plateau. The landscape is dominated by the massive depression of Big Gypsum Valley and the neighboring Disappointment Valley, separated by the namesake Gypsum Gap. Industry at this time was clearly centered on extraction, as evidenced by named workings such as the Long Ridge Mines, Bald Eagle Mines, and Pitchfork Mines. Water is a critical and sparse resource in this environment, with features like Larson Spring and the drainage of Gypsum Creek providing essential landmarks for local navigation and ranching operations. The map details a network of unimproved roads and trails connecting these remote mining sites to the broader Dry Creek Basin.