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1955 Map of Handies Peak

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Handies Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

The high mountain basins of the San Juan Mountains are documented here during a period of transition in the mid-1950s. Mining infrastructure from previous decades remains prominent, though several significant settlements are identified as abandoned. The landscape is dominated by the upper reaches of the Animas River and its various forks, with the townsite of Eureka situated near the junction of the South Fork Animas River. Further north, Animas Forks sits at a high-elevation crossroads leading toward Engineer Pass and Cinnamon Pass.

The presence of numerous underground workings, such as the Sunnyside Mine and Treasure Mtn Mine, illustrates the intensity of the district's silver and gold prospecting era. These operations were supported by a network of tunnels and bridges, including the Denver Tunnel and Denver Bridge. High-altitude water bodies like Lake Emma and Lake Como are surrounded by peaks exceeding 13,000 feet, including Handies Peak and Niagara Peak, which define the drainage basins for the Gunnison River and Henson Creek systems.