1893 Map of Platte Canyon

About this map

Pike National Forest dominates this 1891 survey, encompassing the high-altitude terrain of the Tarryall Mts and the deep incision of the Platte Canyon. Early Colorado settlements are established along the watercourses, including Pine Grove, Estabrook, and Bailey situated near the North Fork of the South Platte. These small mountain outposts were critical nodes in the regional topography before the late-19th-century expansion of the Front Range. The landscape is defined by its prominent summits, from the distinctive Devils Head to the high points of Bison Peak and Thunder Butte. Further south, Manitou Park marks a shift toward the headwaters of the Tarryall Creek, while the confluence of Buffalo Creek and the South Platte River near the town of Buffalo highlights the drainage patterns that shaped the area's earliest transit routes and development.