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1956 Map of Spicer Peak

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Spicer Peak
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Spicer serves as a central point in this high-altitude landscape of Jackson County, where ranching and water management define the local economy during the mid-1950s. The map details a complex network of irrigation systems necessary for mountain agriculture, including the Seymour Ditch, Arapaho Ditch, and Eureka Ditch, which channel water from the surrounding heights toward valley floor operations like the West Home Ranch and Van Valkenburg Ranch.

Rising sharply from these managed waters are the prominent summits of Spicer Peak and Ironclad Mountain. The southern portion of the sheet is dominated by the Continental Divide as it traverses the Rabbit Ears Range, marking the boundary between the Routt National Forest and Arapaho National Forest. High-country landmarks such as Arapaho Pass and Dennis Hump highlight the difficult terrain that separated these early Colorado ranching communities.