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1959 Map of Howard

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Howard
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Arkansas River serves as the primary artery through this Colorado landscape, flanked by the Denver and Rio Grande Western River railroad tracks. Small riverside settlements like Wellsville, Swissvale, and Howard punctuate the valley, where industrial footprints including a quarry at Calcite and several scattered mines indicate a resource-heavy local economy. In the northern reaches, the Howard Community School and Howard Creek Ranger Station highlight the civic and administrative centers of the era.

Rising sharply from the river valley are the high peaks of the San Isabel National Forest and Rio Grande National Forest. Notable summits such as Bushnell Peak, Mount Otto, and Galena Peak define the southern horizon, accessible only by a network of historic paths like the Rainbow Trail and Hayden Pass Trail. To the southwest, the Villa Grove Cemetery and Stout Creek School mark the quiet rural settlements nestled in the shadows of Simmons Peak and Hunts Peak.