1983 Map of Salida West

About this map

The Arkansas River corridor in the early 1980s reveals a complex landscape of irrigation and industry west of the Chaffee County seat. The town of Salida and the nearby community of Smeltertown are central to the region's development, supported by the Denver and Rio Grande Western railroad tracks. This map documents an extensive network of gravity-fed water systems, including the Kraft Ditch, Salida Ditch, and Park Ditch, which transform the arid plains of Sand Park and Adobe Park into productive land. Local history and genealogy interests are represented by the Fairview Cem, Longfellow Sch, and the Shavano State Fish Hatchery. The transition from the flat agricultural expanses of Missouri Park to the protected slopes of the San Isabel National Forest illustrates the intersection of human engineering and the natural Rocky Mountain environment.