Loading map...

1955 Map of Handies Peak

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Handies Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

High mountain drainage systems define this 1955 survey of the San Juan Mountains, where the upper reaches of the Animas River meet the headwaters of the Uncompahgre River and Henson Creek. The landscape is a complex of deep-cut gulches and towering summits, including Handies Peak, Engineer Mountain, and Cinnamon Mountain. The pattern of human activity is strictly industrial, following the mineral veins that drew miners to these elevations.

Evidence of the silver and gold rush era is found in the scattered remains of settlements and heavy mining works. The map identifies Animas Forks (Aband) and Eureka (Aband) as abandoned sites, while naming numerous specific claims like the Sunnyside Mine, Old Lout Mine, and Mountain Queen Mine. These operations were served by a network of steep routes, including Cinnamon Pass and Denver Pass, which provided critical access between the mining camps and the mills located along the gulches below.