1963 Map of Johnson Ranch

About this map

Johnson Ranch and its neighboring agricultural homesteads define the high-plains character of this Albany County landscape during the early 1960s. The area is marked by a sophisticated water management system designed for the Missouri River Basin, featuring an extensive Aqueduct that traverses the northern reaches near Sportsman Lake. Settlement remains sparse, concentrated around named properties like Five Mile Ranch and Chimney Rock Ranch, while the local Sand Creek Sch serves as a lone institutional marker in the western portion of the sheet. The terrain is dominated by the prominent Boulder Ridge to the southeast, which channels numerous watercourses including Antelope Creek and Lone Tree Creek. A network of fence lines, noted specifically in this survey, reveals the practical boundaries of rangeland management, connecting natural features like the Lone Tree Reservoir with the cattle-ranching economy of the era.