1957 Map of Spar City

About this map

The settlement of Spar City sits at the edge of the Rio Grande National Forest in this mid-century survey, a landscape defined by high peaks and the headwaters of the Rio Grande. Mining history is visible in the northwest through the Denver Tunnel near Monument Peak, while the surrounding terrain is laced with numerous named water bodies including Lake Humphreys, Goose Lake, and Shaw Lake. The map details a primitive transportation network consisting of several designated Pack Trails crossing the Continental Divide and the New Mexico Principal Meridian. This 1957 field-checked survey captures the area before modern development, showing isolated features like the Wagon Wheel Ranch and Decker Meadows tucked between summits like South River Peak and Beautiful Mtn. The division between the Rio Grande and San Juan National Forest creates a administrative boundary through the high-altitude wilderness of the San Juan Mountains.