1958 Map of Superior

About this map

The Union Pacific railroad corridor anchors the southern reaches of this high-desert landscape, where the coal-mining communities of Superior and South Superior reside beneath the towering slopes of Zirkel Mesa. This mid-century survey reveals a territory transitioning from frontier transit to industrial extraction. Long-established ranching sites like Chilton Ranch and Johnson Ranch are scattered across a landscape defined by the Continental Divide and the expansive Sand Dunes to the north. Historical transportation patterns are preserved here through the tracing of the Point of Rocks-South Pass Stage Route and the Old Stage Station ruin, marking the path of earlier travelers through the arid basins and over Steamboat Mountain. Notable water sources, such as The Natural Corrals Spring and Black Rock Springs, indicate the vital points that allowed for human activity in this rain-shadow environment.