1978 Map of Sanders Ranch

About this map

Wild Horse Creek and Bellyache Creek carve through this high plains landscape of Cheyenne County during the late 1970s. The area is characterized by sparse settlement and a reliance on subterranean water sources, indicated by numerous marked features like Well and Spring. A single isolated Grave in the northwest serves as a poignant marker of early pioneer presence or family history in this cattle-ranching country. The map centers on the Sanders Ranch headquarters, showing the complex network of fencelines and unimproved roads that defined livestock management before modern intensive development. To the west, the drainage of Adobe Gulch and a natural Sink illustrate the unique hydrological patterns of the Colorado prairie, where seasonal water flow and depressions were vital for both human and animal survival.