1893 Map of Higbee

About this map

The Purgatoire River carves a deep path through southeastern Colorado, serving as the primary geographic corridor for a landscape defined by dramatic canyons and intermittent water sources. Surveyed in the late 1880s, the terrain is dominated by high plains etched with deep incisions like Higbee Canyon and Smith Canyon. Human presence is sparse, centered around the settlement of Higbee and the notable J J Ranch, illustrating the ranching-dependent economy of the era before more intensive irrigation or development reached these mesas.