1962 Map of Houston Gulch

About this map

Parlin Flats and the surrounding high-country drainages define this 1962 landscape in the central Colorado Rockies. The map documents a sparsely populated ranching and mining region where Tomichi Creek winds through the northern flats. To the south, the terrain rises toward the Gunnison National Forest boundary, marked by prominent geological features like the volcanic profile of Lions Head and the flat-topped plateau of Table Top. Evidence of small-scale mountain industry is present at the Alaska Mine near Kettle Camp, while early agricultural infrastructure is visible via the Arch Irrigation Ditch. The network of water sources, including Prospector Spring and Valdez Spring, highlights the critical importance of water rights for established operations like Green Mesa Ranch. A decommissioned Railroad Grade serves as a reminder of earlier transportation corridors that once linked these gulches to the wider world.