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1950 Map of Masters

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Masters
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The South Platte River corridor dominates this 1950 survey, revealing a landscape defined by complex irrigation and transportation infrastructure along the border of Weld and Morgan Counties. The small settlement of Masters is the primary hub, served by the Union Pacific railroad and its own Masters P O. Between the river and the northern uplands, the Green City Flats highlight the flat terrain that supported early agricultural development in this part of Colorado.

A network of man-made waterways including the Bijou Canal, Riverside Canal, and Weldon Valley Ditch underscores the vital role of water management in the region's history. These canals feed into large storage bodies like the Riverside Reservoir and Empire Reservoir, which anchor the northwest and southeast corners of the map. Traces of local industry appear in several Gravel Pits and the isolated siding at Sublette, marking the functional character of the high plains economy during the mid-century.