1962 Map of Rangely

About this map

The Rangely Oil Field dominates this early 1960s landscape, illustrating a high-desert industrial boom centered on the White River. The area is characterized by a dense network of energy infrastructure, including numerous Oil Wells, a Power Plant, and a complex system of pipelines crossing the Coal Oil Basin. Beyond the primary townsite of Rangely, the map reveals several industrial housing clusters or company outposts such as California Camp, Sharples Camp, and Texas Camp, which provided essential proximity for workers in this remote extraction zone. Geologic and hydrologic features like the Coal Oil Rim and Douglas Creek frame the activity, while local civic life is represented by St Timothy church, a Jr High Sch, and the local Hospital. The map captures a specific moment when the regional economy was tied deeply to the subterranean riches of Rio Blanco County.