1953 Map of Hightower SW

About this map

High-altitude grazing and water management define this Platte County landscape in the early 1950s. The Laramie River and Dry Laramie River cut through the terrain, supported by a network of man-made irrigation features like the Cramer Ditch and Mertz Ditch. The presence of the Wedemeyer School (Aban'd) and Slate Creek Sch (Aban'd) suggests a shifting rural population, as these once-active centers of the ranching community were already noted as abandoned by the time of the field check. To the west, the Medicine Bow National Forest boundary marks the transition into more rugged timberland, while local industry is represented by the Marble Quarry near Marble Quarry Creek. A web of unimproved routes, including the Scranton Road and Wagonhound Road, provided the primary access for family operations and early surveyors working this high plains environment.