1972 Map of La Plata Canyon

About this map

The Stillwater Range dominates this Churchill County landscape, a territory defined by high elevations and essential water sources in an arid environment. In the early 1870s, the area around La Plata (Site) briefly served as the county seat, and this survey documents the remaining Ruins and topographic legacy of that short-lived silver mining boom. The map reveals a network of water points critical for survival and livestock, ranging from Mountain Well and Upper Sheep Canyon Well to high-altitude springs like Hike Spring and Burnt Cabin Spring. High peaks and deep incisions like Elevenmile Canyon and Slaughter Canyon shape the terrain, where scattered Prospects indicate continued mineral interest long after the primary settlement phase. Numerous Jeep Trails and corrals suggest the land's later transition to ranching and recreational use in the late twentieth century.