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1889 Map of Sanborn

Name: 1889 Topographic Map of Sanborn
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Sanborn serves as the central hub of this high plains landscape at the end of the 19th century, where the boundaries of Elbert, Lincoln, and Otero counties meet. The geography is defined by a dendritic network of ephemeral waterways, primarily the several branches of Rush Creek and the southern flow of Horse Creek. These drainages dictated the placement of early livestock operations, as seen in the scattered locations of the Maryland Cattle Co. Ranch, Orcutt Ranch, and Fody Ranch.

Topographers Willard D. Johnson and J. W. Hays surveyed this terrain in 1889, capturing a moment when ranching was the dominant footprint on the land. The presence of the Maryland Cattle Co. Ranch suggests the scale of commercial livestock interests in the region, while landmarks like Rocky Point and the Steel Fork provide fixed points for genealogists tracing family land claims. The map illustrates how settlement patterns followed the natural contours of the Little Horse Creek and its tributaries before more modern developments altered the rural character.