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1902 Map of Needle Mountains
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1902 Map of Needle Mountains

USGS Topo · Published 1902

About this map

The Animas River corridor serves as the primary artery through this high-altitude landscape, tracked by the Denver and Rio Grande Railroad. Small, remote outposts like Needleton and Logtown cling to the river and its tributaries, while the high mining camp of Beartown sits tucked near the Continental Divide in the northeast. This 1902 survey, led by E.M. Douglas, reveals a wilderness at the height of its turn-of-the-century exploration, where the Needle Mountains and Grenadier Range are already defined by dozens of sharp summits and high basins. The isolation of these locales is evident in the sparse settlement pattern, with industry represented by the remote Quartz Mill on the lower reaches of the map. High-elevation waters like Molas Lake and the Chicago Basin suggest the challenging logistics for early miners and surveyors navigating this portion of the San Juan Mountains.

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Map Details

Date Portrayed1902
Date Published1902
PublisherU.S. Geological Survey
Map TypeTopographic
Scale1:62,500
Physical Dimensions16.2 x 20.04 inches

Editions of this 1902 Needle Mountains Map

Historical Maps of Needleton Through Time

166 maps found

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Source Details

SourceU.S. Geological Survey
CopyrightPublic Domain