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1971 Map of Model

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Model
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Model and the surrounding ranchlands of Las Animas County are documented here during the early 1970s. The landscape is defined by the persistent flow of the Purgatoire River in the south and a network of ephemeral watercourses including Blackwell Arroyo and Luning Arroyo that cut through the high plains. The presence of the A T & S F railroad running alongside Highway 350 underscores the area's historic role as a transportation corridor connecting the Purgatoire valley to the broader region.

Industrial activity is reflected in scattered Gravel Pits and various pipelines, while the settlement pattern is sparse, centered on the small siding of Model and the southern river access at Fishers Crossing. This survey provides a precise look at the transition between the river bottom and the upland terrain, capturing the essential infrastructure of a Colorado high-plains livestock and rail community before modern development.