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1955 Map of Moonshine Peak

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Moonshine Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The high plains of Wyoming meet the dramatic elevations of the Laramie Mountains in this mid-century topographic record. The rugged geography is defined by prominent landmarks like Moonshine Peak and Government Peak, while the flow of the Laramie River and its tributaries such as Bluegrass Creek and Halleck Creek carve through the terrain. A notable engineering feat of the era, the Wheatland Tunnel, is traced as it moves water through the divide, supporting the region's agricultural viability.

Local settlement patterns are centered on family-held lands and ranching operations, including the Bookout Ranch, Adam Boyd Ranch, and William Boyd Ranch. These ranching outposts, often located near water sources like Cherry Creek or Spring, illustrate the late frontier lifestyle surviving into the mid-20th century. For historians, the inclusion of a lone Mine and the tracing of the Bell Road provides specific evidence of the area's resource extraction and transportation history.