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1915 Map of Summitville

Name: 1915 Topographic Map of Summitville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-altitude landscape of the San Juan Mountains, where early 20th-century mining activity and ranching outposts define the rugged interior. Significant mining operations are centered near the settlement of Summitville, including the Asiatic Mine and the evocatively named Pass-Me-By Mine. These sites sit alongside the headwaters of the Alamosa River, highlighting the era's dependence on mountain water for processing ore.

Further south, the map reveals a remote network of agrarian and educational sites, such as the Blanco Basin School and Blanco School, serving isolated homesteads like Himes Ranch and Petersons Ranch. The presence of a Logging Road near the Rio Blanco indicates a developing timber industry, while the lower elevations around Chromo and Edith near the southern border reflect the transition toward the New Mexico territory line. The detailed survey captures the precarious balance between high-mountain extraction and the valley ranching communities before modern infrastructure arrived.