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1955 Map of Silverton

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Silverton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1970
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1970

About this map

The high alpine mining district surrounding Silverton is documented here during the mid-1950s, a period when the region's industrial legacy remained deeply etched into the San Juan Mountains. The Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad terminates at the town, providing a vital link for the output of world-class operations like the Camp Bird Mine and the Sunnyside Mine. The landscape is a network of steep gulches and high peaks, where settlements such as Eureka, Animas Forks, and Howardsville reflect the intense 19th-century silver and gold rush activity.

Evidence of large-scale mineral processing is found at the Mayflower Mill and various Tailings Ponds along Animas River and Cement Creek. High-altitude infrastructure is visible in the Pack Trail networks and the Million Dollar Highway climbing toward Molas Pass. This survey also preserves the location of the Howardsville Cem and the remote St Germain Foundation, offering a detailed look at the social and industrial geography before modern tourism became the primary driver of the local economy.