1963 Map of Johnson Ranch

About this map

Lone Tree Creek and Antelope Creek carve through this high-plains landscape in Albany County, where mid-century ranching operations defined the local geography. The map documents a sparsely populated but active livestock corridor, anchored by the Johnson Ranch, Five Mile Ranch, and Chimney Rock Ranch. Water management is central to life here, evidenced by the large Aqueduct running across the northern sections and the creation of Sportsman Lake and the Lone Tree Reservoir. These features, along with numerous unnamed springs, provided the necessary infrastructure for agriculture in a region marked by the prominent elevation of Boulder Ridge. Small-scale social infrastructure, such as the Sand Creek Sch near the western edge, indicates where families once gathered in this expansive ranching district north of the Colorado state line.