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1992 Map of Johnson Mountain

Name: 1992 Topographic Map of Johnson Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1996
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1996

About this map

Medicine Bow National Forest lands dominate the western portion of this terrain, where the prominent elevations of Johnson Mountain and Sheep Mountain overlook a complex network of ranching homesteads and water management systems. The landscape is defined by the cattle-rearing economy of Platte County, evidenced by numerous family-named holdings such as Butner Ranch, Weaver Ranch, and Shockley Ranch. Irrigation is central to life here, with the North Laramie River and Laramie River feeding an intricate grid of human-made water features including Merkel Ditch, No 1 Pine Ditch, and the Canal.

Historic resource extraction and rural education are preserved in the mapping of the Black Powder Mines (inactive) and the Sommers-Shockley School. Along the Fletcher Park Road and Van Ortwick Road, the map details a rugged transition from high timber and geological curiosities like Devils Washtub to the managed valley floors. This survey reflects a late 20th-century view of Wyoming's ranching traditions and the infrastructure required to sustain them.