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1965 Map of Paonia

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Paonia
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1985
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1985

About this map

Agricultural life in the mid-1960s centers around Paonia and the fertile benches of Stewart Mesa and Lamborn Mesa. The North Fork Gunnison River and an intricate network of irrigation, including the Farmers Ditch and several long aqueducts, sustain the orchards and farms of this high mountain valley. Transportation and recreation of the era are marked by the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad corridor and a local Drive-in Theater just west of town.

The terrain transitions sharply from the valley floor to the high peaks of the Gunnison National Forest, dominated by the massive profile of Mount Lamborn and Landsend Peak. For genealogists and local historians, the map preserves the locations of the Bethlehem Cem, the Stewart Mesa Sch, and the Lamborn Sch, documenting the distributed school system and community nodes that defined Delta County during this period.