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1951 Map of Valdez

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Valdez
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

Industrial activity along the Purgatoire River defines this portion of the Maxwell Grant in the early 1950s. The coal-mining economy is clearly visible through the extensive infrastructure of the Frederick Mine, which includes airshafts, pipe drains, and several inactive shafts spread across the canyon slopes. Near the settlement of Segundo, the presence of Coke Ovens along the Colorado and Wyoming railroad tracks illustrates the local transformation of coal for the steel industry.

The landscape is deeply dissected by numerous drainages such as Woman Creek, Sowbelly Canyon, and Martinez Canyon. Cultural landmarks are concentrated in the river valley, where the towns of Valdez and Tijeras are accompanied by local burial sites like the San Juan Cem and Tijeras Cemetery. This survey captures the region just as some mining operations were beginning to transition, as noted by the scattered inactive mine labels.