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1955 Map of Pearl

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Pearl
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Mining operations and high-country ranching define this mid-century survey of the northern Jackson County landscape. The settlement of Pearl serves as a focal point near the northern edge, situated among an intricate network of water management features like the Republic Flume and an Abandoned Aqueduct. These structures, alongside the Smelter Stack and named prospects such as the Wolverine Mine and Zirkel Mine, point to an era of industrial extraction within the Routt National Forest.

The geography is dominated by the Big Creek Lakes and the winding course of the North Fork North Platte River. Scattered family holdings, including the Hayward Ranch, Lobdell Ranch, and Hill Ranch, are connected by primitive trails and forest roads. This map documents a specialized mountain economy where timber, water rights, and mineral claims intersected in the wilderness long before modern development reached this portion of the Continental Divide region.