1942 Map of Piney Creek

About this map

The Colorado Front Range transitions into rolling drainage patterns on the eve of World War II, shown here at a high level of detail before the suburban expansion of Denver reached this intersection of counties. This 1942 edition represents a significant collaboration involving the State Highway Department and the City and County of Denver, with field work conducted during the late 1930s by the Work Projects Administration. The landscape is defined by the dendritic systems of Piney Creek and Coal Creek, which carve through the high plains terrain. Land use at this time is predominantly rural and agricultural, with the map recording the precise meeting point of Arapahoe, Douglas, and Elbert Counties. Water management and road planning are central themes, as evidenced by the sponsorship of the Denver Board of Water Commissioners and the intricate mapping of local gulches like Sulphur Gulch and Sampson Gulch.