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1897 Map of Walsenburg

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Walsenburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The intersection of mountain topography and rail-driven settlement defines this 1894 survey of Huerfano County. Walsenburg serves as the central hub, where the Denver and Rio Grande R. R. splits into the La Veta Branch and the Trinidad Line. This rail network was essential for connecting the coal mining outposts and agricultural communities of the high plains to larger markets. Notable settlements like Pictou, Rouse, and Tioga underscore the industrial character of the era, while the Colorado and Southern R. R. skirts the southern portion of the sheet.

Prominent landmarks such as Huerfano Butte and Hayden Butte rise from the terrain, providing natural navigation points along the Huerfano River. To the west, the foothills of the San Isabel National Forest emerge, including Black Mt. and the settlement of Rye. The map captures an important logistical moment, noting both the Huerfano Sta. (Ute P.O.) and various named ridges like Unfug Ridge and Turkey Ridge that dictated the path of early roads and tracks.