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1944 Map of Ralston Buttes

Name: 1944 Topographic Map of Ralston Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1944
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1944

About this map

Ralston Buttes rises as a prominent landmark in this 1941-42 survey of the terrain west of the Colorado foothills. The landscape is defined by a complex network of deep drainages, including Ralston Creek, Van Bibber Creek, and Tucker Gulch, which shaped the early ranching and mining infrastructure of the region. Local education is anchored by several rural institutions such as Guy Hill Sch, Belcher Sch, and Robinson Sch, marking the scattered mountain communities of the era.

Industrial activity is evident at the Fireclay site, while the transport needs of the early 1940s are reflected in the Denver and Salt Lake railroad line and the Arena Siding. Significant landholdings like Ralston Creek Ranch and Centennial Ranch suggest a mountain economy transitioning from frontier ranching toward more modern water management, seen at the Ralston Res. The presence of Centralia and the distinctive Centennial Cone provide further geographic anchors for family historians and researchers of Jefferson County.