1970 Map of Myers Canyon

About this map

Spurlock Ranch and Knowlton Ranch anchor this landscape along the border of Pueblo, Las Animas, and Huerfano counties, where cattle operations relied on a complex network of small reservoirs and windmills. The terrain is defined by the deep incisions of Myers Canyon and Averson Canyon, which directed the placement of early infrastructure like the Red Top Road and Myers Camp. This 1970 field-checked survey reveals the vital importance of water management in the high plains, evidenced by numerous features such as Railroad Fill Res, Big Flannery Res, and the Flannery Windmill. From the heights of Cedar Crest down to the drainage of Mustang Creek, the map provides a look at the rural ranching economy at a time when remote outposts like A Bar Ranch were still the primary markers of habitation across the wide Cactus Flat.