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1955 Map of Ouray

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Ouray
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Mining operations and steep alpine terrain dominate the landscape around Ouray during the mid-1950s. The town sits at the floor of a dramatic valley carved by the Uncompahgre River, surrounded by peaks like Baldy Peak and Whitehouse Mountain. This era shows a transition from heavy extraction to the burgeoning tourism economy, evidenced by the Radium Springs Swimming Pool situated near the city boundary.

Evidence of the region's industrial heritage is everywhere, from the American Lead and Zinc Mill to numerous high-altitude shafts including the Bachelor Mine, Syracuse Mine, and American Nettie Mine. For genealogists and local historians, the map preserves the locations of family-run operations such as Dalpaz Ranch and Erickson Ranch, alongside infrastructure like the Cedar Hill Cemetery and the Old Railroad Grade winding northward toward Portland.