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1948 Map of Horse Range Mesa

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Horse Range Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Dolores River cuts a deep, winding path through this corner of San Miguel County, a landscape defined by its strategic importance to the mid-century uranium and radium industries. This 1948 survey, conducted in cooperation with the United States Atomic Energy Commission, documents a highly active mining district. Concentrated activity is visible at the Veta Mad Mine and the series of numbered radium shafts, including Radium No 2 Mine and Radium No 7 Mine.

Settlement is sparse and industrial, anchored by the Slick Rock Water Tower and the Sack Rock Bridge crossing the river. The topography transitions from the high Island Mesa in the northwest down through steep drainages like McIntyre Canyon and Summit Canyon. These maps were critical for prospecting and infrastructure development during the early Cold War era, capturing the footprint of the Upper Group Mines and Middle Group Mines before the landscape was further altered by decades of mineral extraction.