1917 Geologic Map of Central City, Colorado
By: U.S. Geological Survey
Date: 1917 (dated) Washington D.C.
Dimensions: 18.5 x 19 inches (47 x 48 cm)
A highly detailed gold mine map of the Central City District in Colorado. Printed in 1917, near the end of what would be a sixty year period of gold mining, this map shows nearly all of the mines and veins of the region.
The map centers on Central City (a.k.a. Mountain City) with the nearby town of Blackhawk positioned just to the east. Contour lines offer a visual representation on of the topography while the land is color coded by various types of Igneous and Sedimentary rocks, identified by the legend on the right. Gold veins are delineated throughout with the most successful mines dotting their course.
It was in May of 1859 that John H. Gregory found a gold-bearing vein (the Gregory Lode) in Gregory Gulch between Black Hawk and Central City. The highest concentration of mines appear in this gulch. The following year, nearly 10,000 prospectors flocked to what was then called Mountain City, many of them finding immediate success and then moving back to their homes in the east. The region garnered the nickname the "Richest Square Mile on Earth." Mining in this would continue rest of the 19th century and decrease rapidly between 1900 and 1920.
Condition: Map is in A condition, issued folded, now mostly flat with no tears or holes. Colors are bright and vibrant on clean paper.
Inventory #12540
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