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1912 Map of Soda Canyon

Name: 1912 Topographic Map of Soda Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Mesa Verde National Park and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation define this landscape, surveyed in the early twentieth century before the full development of modern tourism infrastructure. The map meticulously documents the archaeological heritage of the region, featuring legendary sites like Cliff Palace, Sprucetree House Headquarters, and the Sun Temple. These ancient dwellings are concentrated along Chapin Mesa, overlooking the deep cut of Soda Canyon.

Beyond the ruins, the map reveals the sparse ranching and administrative footprints of the era, such as Waters Ranch and Thomas House. The complex drainage system of the Mancos River and its numerous tributaries, including Johnson Canyon and Greasewood Canyon, dominates the topography. This 1912 survey, updated with 1933 data from the Indian Office, captures the transition of these ancestral lands into a protected federal monument while they were still being actively documented by figures like Sledge Tatum.