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1961 Map of Monticello

Name: 1961 Topographic Map of Monticello
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

The Alamosa River cuts through this high canyon country, providing a lifeline for the small agricultural settlements of Monticello and Placitas. In the early 1960s, the community at Monticello was centered around the St Ignatius Ch and the nearby Monticello Cem, with a Rodeo Ground serving as a local gathering point along the riverbanks. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition between the Cibola National Forest to the north and the intricate drainage systems of Monticello Canyon.

Evidence of ranching and early commerce is visible in the network of unimproved dirt roads and trails, including the Burma Road and paths leading to the Red Rock Ranch. Isolated outposts like Shipman and La Petra are connected by a web of draws and canyons, such as Calvario Draw and Rita Draw. The survey also captures ecclesiastical history at the southern edge of the map with the St Lorenzo Ch, which anchored the smaller community of Placitas.