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1885 Map of Salt Lake

Name: 1885 Topographic Map of Salt Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1885
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1885

About this map

Salt Lake City and the expanding settlements of the Wasatch Mountains anchor this late-nineteenth-century survey. The landscape reflects an era of intense mineral extraction and transport development, visible in the high-elevation mining hubs of Alta and Silver City, and the industrial connection at Coalville. Early railroad networks, including the Denver and Rio Grande Western R. R. and the U. P. R. R., trace the valleys and canyons, linking agricultural centers like Provo and Heber to the capital.

Water systems define the habitable basins, from the expanse of Utah Lake to the vital flows of the Jordan River and Provo River. Strategic military and frontier outposts like Fort Douglass sit alongside established Mormon settlements such as American Fork, Pleasant Grove, and Draperville, documenting the transition from pioneer outposts to a connected regional economy. High peaks like Timpanogos Peak and Lone Peak dominate the topography, framing the settled plains of Heber Valley and Parleys Park.