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1915 Map of Summitville

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Summitville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1937
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1937

About this map

The Continental Divide snakes through this high country, separating the San Juan National Forest from the Rio Grande National Forest. In the early twentieth century, this region was a rugged landscape of mining camps and isolated cattle operations. The settlement of Summitville sits perched between North Mtn and South Mtn, serving as a hub for local operations like the Asiatic Mine and Mammoth Mine.

Lower elevations show the transition from mineral extraction to ranching and homesteading along the river valleys. Local education for settler families is anchored at the Blanco Basin School and Blanco School, while the southern reaches near the New Mexico border feature the settlement of Chromo along the Chromo River. The map also details several family holdings that defined the local economy, including Himes Ranch, Chapson Ranch, and Harrison Ranch, alongside the remote Bond House on the upper reaches of the Conejos River.