1892 Map of Lamar

About this map

The Arkansas River corridor dominates this late nineteenth-century survey of Southeast Colorado, showing a landscape defined by emerging irrigation and rival rail lines. The Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad follows the riverbank, serving the growing settlement of Lamar and smaller stops like Prowers and Caddoa. To the north, the Missouri Pacific Railroad cuts a straight path through the high plains, connecting Eads and Chivington. This era of development is marked by the complex network of the Arkansas Valley Canal and several water features like King Reservoir and Kiowa Springs, which were vital for agricultural expansion in Bent and Prowers counties. The map preserves early place names and drainage patterns, such as the ominously named Graveyard Creek, before the region's ranching and farming infrastructure matured.