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1955 Map of Howardsville

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Howardsville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Howardsville and the nearby settlement of Middleton anchor this mid-century look at one of the most active mining landscapes in the San Juan Mountains. Located at the junction of the Animas River and Cunningham Creek, this area was defined by a complex network of industrial extraction. The map reveals the intense concentration of high-altitude claims and processing facilities, including the Pride of the West Mill and the Shenandoah Mine.

The terrain is defined by the Continental Divide and towering peaks such as King Solomon Mountain and Galena Mountain. Notable alpine water features like Silver Lake and the Highland Mary Lakes sit in deep glacial basins, surrounded by numerous mine adits and shafts like the Buffalo Boy Mine and the Old Hundred Mine. This survey captures the remnants of the early 20th-century mining boom as it appeared during the 1950s, documenting the intricate system of gulches and basins that facilitated mineral transport.