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1955 Map of Pearl

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Pearl
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Pearl and its surrounding ranchlands appear as a working mountain landscape in this mid-century survey of northern Jackson County. The settlement, established as a mining camp, is contextualized by its industrial remnants, including the Smelter Stack and the Wolverine Mine. High-altitude ranching is prominent throughout the terrain, with family-named operations like Rhea Ranch, Wilford Ranch, and Lobdell Ranch situated near the complex water-management networks of the Albert Clauson Ditch and Republic Flume.

To the west, the Routt National Forest encompasses the deep waters of Big Creek Lakes and the rugged topography of Independence Mountain. Recreation and passage through this wilderness are marked by the Continental Divide Trail and Beaver Creek Trail. The map captures the intersection of early 20th-century resource extraction, such as the Grizzly Mine, and the enduring water rights essential to the high-country cattle industry.