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1929 Map of Roan Creek

Name: 1929 Topographic Map of Roan Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1929
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1929

About this map

Book Plateau and the surrounding high ridges define this landscape as it appeared during the late 1920s, a period when the oil shale industry was beginning to mark the Colorado wilderness. The presence of the Index Shale Plant near Clear Cr highlights the early industrial attempts to tap the region's energy resources. Below the massive Roan Cliffs, the settlement pattern follows the drainages, where isolated outposts like the Wilcoxson Ranch and Goslin Ranch provided a living in the canyons.

A network of remote schools, including Kimball Creek Sch, Conn Creek Sch, and Dry Fork Sch, served the families of cattlemen and shale workers. Movement through the rugged terrain was largely restricted to primitive routes like the Wagon Track cutting across the South Shale Ridge. Along the southern margin, the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad skirts the Colorado River, connecting this remote canyon country to the wider regional economy.