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1892 Map of Vilas

Name: 1892 Topographic Map of Vilas
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1911
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1911

About this map

Texas Trail cuts across the high plains of southeastern Colorado in this 1890 survey, marking a significant corridor for cattle drives and migration toward the Colorado Kansas Boundary Line. The landscape of Baca County is defined by a sparse network of early settlements including Vilas, Stonington, and Boston, alongside established family landmarks like Mathews Ranch and Miles Ranch.

Surface water is concentrated along the Cimarron River and its seasonal drainages, where the Sand Hills and prominent elevations like Buffalo Point and Black Butte break the horizon. This early reconnaissance work captures the region before extensive modern irrigation, focusing on the essential relationship between reliable water sources like Sand Arroyo and the developing ranching economy of the late nineteenth century.