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1924 Map of Montezuma

Name: 1924 Topographic Map of Montezuma
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1924
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1924

About this map

Montezuma sits at the heart of this high-altitude landscape, a town defined by its proximity to the mineral wealth of the surrounding peaks during the early twentieth century. This survey documents a critical period for the Colorado mining industry, illustrating the infrastructure required to extract ore from the Continental Divide. High-elevation operations like the Waldorf Mine, Hamill Mine, and the Whale Mine are recorded alongside transit routes such as Loveland Pass and Argentine Pass, which provided essential links through the mountains.

The presence of the Golden Belt Tunnel and a prominent Transmission Line indicates the industrial advancement of the era, bringing power to remote sites. From the small settlement at Keystone to the now-vanished camp at Swandyke, the map reveals a geography of extraction where water sources like the Snake River and Clear Creek were vital for both processing and transport. Notable peaks such as Grays Peak and Torreys Peak anchor the terrain, marking the divide between the Clear Creek and Snake River drainages.