1971 Map of Lycan

About this map

Lycan and its surrounding high plains ranching country are documented here during the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by the ephemeral drainages of Buffalo Creek and Beaty Creek, which cut through the level terrain just five miles west of the Kansas border. This era shows the geographic shift of the local post office from the northern settlement to Buckeye Crossroads (Lycan PO) further south along the highway. Evidence of the vital underground water economy is scattered across the township lines in the form of numerous Well sites, which supported the homesteads and livestock operations in this corner of Baca County. The southern edge of the quadrangle includes the small community of Buckeye, illustrating the sparse but persistent settlement pattern of the Colorado plains.