1958 Map of Rawlins

About this map

Continental Divide winds through this high-desert landscape, splitting the watersheds of the Great Divide Basin from the North Platte River drainage. In the late 1950s, the Union Pacific railroad corridor remained the primary artery of commerce, anchoring towns like Rawlins, Sinclair, and Hanna. The map illustrates a region in transition, where legacy coal operations are noted as Strip mine (abandoned) near Medicine Bow, while the presence of the Seminoe Reservoir and Arlington reflect the steady management of water and transit in the arid interior. To the south and east, the elevation rises sharply into the Medicine Bow National Forest, where peaks like Kennaday Peak and Elk Mountain overlook the Saratoga valley. This survey details a working landscape defined by ranching at Larsens Ranch, the geologic importance of Como Bluff, and the high-altitude forests of the Sierra Madre.