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1955 Map of Mac Farlane Reservoir

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Mac Farlane Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

High-altitude ranching and water management define this mid-century look at Jackson County. The Larand settlement serves as a focal point, though the Larand School is already noted as abandoned by the time of this 1955 survey. The landscape is heavily marked by an intricate network of irrigation ditches and reservoirs, including the central Mac Farlane Reservoir, Addison Reservoir, and Clayton Reservoir, which supported the various family ranching operations such as Allard Ranch, Hackley Ranch, and Anderson Ranch.

Transportation and geography are anchored by the Union Pacific railroad line cutting through the north, while the Illinois River and its tributaries, like Grizzly Creek and Soap Creek, carve through the basin between Peterson Ridge and Owl Ridge. This map captures a period of transition for the Missouri River Basin development, showing the established cattle ranching infrastructure and the vital water systems necessary for survival in this part of Colorado.