1955 Map of Old Roach

About this map

High-altitude ranching and the complex water management of the Laramie River basin define this mid-century survey along the Colorado-Wyoming border. The landscape is dominated by the Medicine Bow National Forest, where a network of drainages like Stuck Creek and Fish Creek feed numerous Beaver Ponds tucked into the timbered slopes. Evidence of earlier settlement is found at Old Roach (Aband), while the operational Grace Creek Ranch reflects the era's ongoing agricultural presence. A sophisticated system of irrigation works, including the Boswell Ditch, Slough Creek Ditch, and the Johnson Reservoir (Hohnsholt Lake) with its noted Spillway 7904, illustrates how water was diverted from the Laramie River to support the high plains. Between the peaks of Pollock Knob and Mansfield Hill, the map traces the intricate headwaters of the South Fork and Forrester Creek as they descend toward the river valley.