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1953 Map of Johnson Mountain

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Johnson Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

The high ranching country of Platte County unfolds across this 1953 survey, dominated by the massive profile of Johnson Mountain and the surrounding Medicine Bow National Forest. The landscape is defined by its water management and livestock history, with the North Laramie River and Dry Laramie River carving through the terrain, supported by man-made infrastructure like the Laramie Canal and Merkel Ditch.

Genealogists and local historians can locate several established family holdings, including the Butner Ranch, Sommers-Shockley Ranch, and Hagemeister Ranch. Educational and social hubs are also represented, such as the Sommers-Shockley School and a Boy Scout Camp near the river. Industrial history is marked by the Black Powder Mines (Inactive) located along Rabbit Creek, indicating earlier mineral extraction efforts on the eastern slopes of the mountains.