1908 Map of Loveland

About this map

Loveland sits at the heart of an intricate water-management network at the dawn of the twentieth century, where the foothills of the Roosevelt National Forest meet the plains. The landscape is defined by an exhaustive system of ditches and reservoirs, reflecting the agricultural engineering required to sustain settlements like Berthoud and Campion. Prominent irrigation features such as Lonetree Reservoir, Boedecker Lake, and the Fossil Creek Reservoir dominate the eastern half of the sheet, tied together by the Colorado and Southern railroad line. To the west, the topography rises sharply toward Green Ridge and Flatiron Mtn, sheltering Chimney Hollow and Meadow Hollow. Industrial presence is noted by the Plaster Mill along the Arkins Branch, while smaller communities like Masonville serve as gateways to the more vertical terrain. This survey captures a pivotal moment when water diversion was fundamentally reshaping the Larimer County environment.