Loading map...

1950 Map of Louisville

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Louisville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The northern edge of the Boulder and Jefferson County line reveals a landscape transitioning from the coal-mining peaks of the late 1930s into the mid-century. A network of over a dozen coal operations, many marked as abandoned by the 1950 revision, defines the area between Marshall and Superior. Names like the New Red Ash Mine, Pittsburg Mines, and the Cracker Jack Mine trace the sub-bituminous coal seams underlying Davidson Mesa.

Settlement patterns follow the industrial and agricultural needs of the high plains, centered on the growing town of Louisville and the rural crossroads of Shamrock Sch. The dominance of water management is evident in the numerous irrigation structures, including Base Line Reservoir, Marshall Lake, and the complex network of ditches feeding the Great Western Reservoir. The presence of the CB&Q railroad line through Louisville underscores the historical reliance on rail for transporting both natural resources and passengers across the Colorado Piedmont.