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1955 Map of Teal Lake

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Teal Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Routt National Forest dominates the western half of this Jackson County landscape, where the Grizzly Helena Trail winds through high-country drainages. The 1955 field check reveals an environment defined by the complex water management required for mountain ranching, evidenced by the extensive network of irrigation features like the Lucky Penny Ditch, Staples Ditch, and Glendale Ditch. These man-made channels divert water from natural flows like Beaver Creek and Grizzly Creek to support isolated homesteads such as the Manville Ranch and Geer Ranch.

Civilian and administrative presence is concentrated at the Grizzly Creek Guard Station and the Butler Sch, providing essential services to this remote ranching community. Water storage is equally vital, with Teal Lake, Sawmill Lake, and several small reservoirs including Stambaugh Reservoir and Ross Reservoir dotting the terrain. The map captures a moment when timber, water rights, and seasonal grazing formed the backbone of the local economy before modern infrastructure altered these traditional patterns.