1899 Map of Rico

About this map

Rico serves as the industrial and social anchor of this 1890s survey, situated along the upper reaches of the Dolores River. The landscape is dominated by the silver-mining era's infrastructure, notably the R.G.S. R.R. (Rio Grande Southern Railroad) which snakes along the river valley to connect high-altitude outposts. Outside the concentrated mining activity near Dolores Mtn. and Aztec Gulch, the map reveals a network of pioneer homesteads and agricultural holdings, including Roger's Ranch, Love's Ranch, and Snyder's Ranch. These family-named landmarks, often situated at the confluence of mountain streams like Stoner Creek and Bear Creek, provide a rare look at the distribution of early settlers within the San Juan National Forest boundary before modern development altered the valley floor. Significant peaks like Sockrider Peak and Anchor Mtn. define the high country, while a lonely Quarry near Taylor Creek hints at the localized extraction industries of the day.