1893 Map of Sanborn

About this map

The high plains of eastern Colorado, as surveyed in 1889, reveal a landscape defined by an emerging cattle industry and the vital watercourses of the Arkansas River basin. Early cattle operations like the Maryland Cattle Co. Ranch, Orcutt Ranch, and Russell Ranch are positioned near primary drainages, illustrating the reliance of late 19th-century ranching on surface water. The settlement of Sanborn serves as a central point in this tri-county region where Elbert, Lincoln, and Otero boundaries meet. Topographically, the area is dissected by the Steel Fork and the winding paths of Horse Creek and Little Horse Creek. These ephemeral streams and the prominent rise of Rocky Point provided the only navigational landmarks for travelers and stockmen across this expansive prairie environment just before the turn of the century.