1900 Map of Spanish Peaks

About this map

East Spanish Peak and West Spanish Peak dominate the northwestern horizon of this 1900 survey, their dramatic elevations giving way to a complex network of canyons and mesas in southern Colorado. The southeastern portion of the map is defined by the massive Maxwell Land Grant, where the Purgatory River carves a path toward the growing settlement of Trinidad. This era reflects a landscape in transition, where established Hispanic plazas such as Trujillo Plaza and Martinez Plaza exist alongside rapidly developing coal-mining and railroad centers.