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1953 Map of Mount Wilson

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Mount Wilson
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Silver Pick Mine and the San Bernardo Mine anchor a landscape defined by high-altitude extraction during the early 1950s. This survey, produced in cooperation with the Atomic Energy Commission, highlights the industrial infrastructure of the San Miguel Mountains, featuring an Aerial Tramway and the Matterhorn Drifts. The presence of the Butterfly Mine (Active) near Ames contrasts with the Coal Mine (Aband) found further south toward the Dolores River.

Logistics and transport are central to this terrain, visible in the winding Old Railroad Grade and the High Line Stock Driveway. Water management for these operations is evident at Trout Lake and the Priest Lakes, which supported the surrounding mining districts. The map effectively documents the transition between the Uncompahgre National Forest and the San Juan National Forest, marking the intersection of resource extraction and rugged forest management.