2022 Map of Hale Ponds

About this map

The borderlands of the High Plains are defined by the convergence of water and boundary lines, where Colorado and Kansas meet along the Yuma County and Cheyenne County line. This landscape is shaped by the S Fork Republican River, which feeds into the managed waters of Corder Lake and the distinctive Hale Ponds. The agricultural history of the region is evident in the path of the Hale Ditch and a network of section-line roads, such as Co RD 4 and Co RD 11, which connect isolated homesteads to the land. Genealogists can trace early settlers through several preserved burial sites scattered across the plains, including Gilstrap Cem in the north and Jaqua Cem to the south. The drainage patterns of Cowpe Cr, Sand Cr, and Bonny Creek illustrate the natural hydrology that dictated settlement patterns in this semi-arid environment.