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1960 Map of Horse Range Mesa

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Horse Range Mesa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Dolores River canyons and high plateau mesas dominate this 1960 landscape in San Miguel County, revealing a region heavily defined by mid-century mineral extraction. The map documents a significant concentration of mining activity, specifically noting the Radium Group Mines, Veta Mad Mine, and the tiered Upper Group Mines, Middle Group Mines, and Lower Group Mines. These operations are clustered near the winding river corridor and along the flanks of Horse Range Mesa.

Evidence of isolated industrial outposts appears in the form of multiple Airstrips and several Oil Wells scattered across McIntyre Canyon and Island Mesa. Low-lying areas like Poverty Flat contrast with the surrounding heights of Steamboat Hill and Summit Point. For researchers of Colorado’s mining history, the presence of a small Cem and specific river crossings like the Slick Rock Bridge provide essential points of reference for the early uranium and vanadium era.