MAP RESEARCH

1
 Table of Contents
Cover 1
Table of Contents 2-4
Map Research 5
Names Whatʼs in a Name? 7-8
Topographic Mapping 9
Historical Reports 10
Claims 11
Where Can a Claim Be Located
Claims 12
1872 Mining Law
Fed. Land Policy
Whatʼs A Claim?
Locating A Claim
Rules for Gold Panning
Claims 13
Mineral Patents
Mining Law BLM
Surface Use
Mining Claim Recordation
Public Land Survey System
Claims 14
Types of BLM Claims
Kids Corner 15-16
Photos 17-19
Libraries 20
Newspapers & Resource Collections
Colorado Area Libraries 21-24
Libraries 25-26

Lin Smith 2
 Interpreting Maps 27
Information on a Topo Map
Grid
GPS
Satellite Images
Hachure Relief 28
Contour Lines
Contour Line Characteristics
Reading Topo Maps 29
Geological Maps
Geological Quadrangle Maps
Misc. Field Study Maps
Shaded Relief Map
Map Legends 30
Letter Symbols and Lines
Interpreting 31
Symbols for Historic Topo Maps
Bench Markers
Boundaries
Interpreting 32
Map Key
Interpreting 33
Map Legends
Date
Color
Counties
Latitudes and Longitude 34
Universal Traverse Mercator
North Arrow
Declination
Latitude and Longitude Principle Meridian 35
Common Mapping Scales
Interpreting Scale 36
Interpreting Maps 37-38
Books 39
BLM LR2000 40-42
Geo Communicator Government 43-45
Where Can I Get Maps 46
Derivative Maps 47
Government Map Research 48-57
Maps Map Research 58-60
BLM Royal Gorge Field Office 61
BLM CO River Valley Field Office 62
BLM Gunnison Field Office 62
BLM Uncompahgre Field Office 63
BLM White River Field Office 63
BLM Little Snake Field Office 64
BLM San Juan Public Lands Center 64

Lin Smith 3
 BLM Grand Junction Field Office 65
Colorado Maps Research 66-68
Geo Caching on Public Lands 69
Genealogy 70-71
History 72-76
Historical Mining Map Discrepancies 77-78
Mining 79-86
Colorado State Map Research 87-91
Retail Maps 92
Tourism 93
Mining and Mineral Museums 94
Mining Tourism 95
Historical Atlases
Mining Tours 96
Hints 97
US Geo Maps
Library of Congress
Hints 98
Library of Congress
U.S. Geological Survey
Hints 99
Researching Historical Maps
The National Archive
Hints 100-101
The National Archives
Interactive Maps 102
Advantages & Disadvantages 103-105
Different Kinds of Maps

The data is to be used for research, information, mapping, and planning purposes only. No warranty, expressed or
implied, including accuracy, relevancy, timeliness, utility, or completeness of the data, maps, or information is made.. The
GPOC shall not be held liable for improper use of the data described and/or contained herein. By using this data you
hereby agree to these conditions. The GPOC map research is intended for research purposes only. It may not be used to
create any written report for commercial purposes.

The information in this report was gathered from numerous government agencies as well as
public resources. It is to be used as a resource and the accuracy is not guaranteed, nor is any
site endorsed.

Sites which I feel contain good information are marked with a check mark.

Lin Smith 4
Colorado
MAP RESEARCH
State in the Union, and the work will be of such a character that
“When finished, Colorado will have a better map than any other

it will never need to be done again. Colorado will never support

Annual Report of the United States Geological & Geographical Survey 1877
so dense a population that a more detailed survey will be
required.”

The first explorers of Colorado were also map makers. Their maps and others serve as a portal for
today’s research of geological and mining locations.

Geological maps are valuable for gold mine you’d like to learn more century, adventurous Frenchman began
scientific and academic research as well about, or maybe you have the name of to hunt and trap in this area and called
as for the research that might be done a business but have no idea where it the river Purgatoire (French for
by small scale miners. The purpose of was located. Current on-line maps may Purgatory). Then, as the area became
geological maps has changed through help you get started on your research settled, the French pronunciation was
time as the uses of the land in Colorado when you look at names on the maps. corrupted into Picket Wire. (USFS)
has changed. In the early territory days
of Colorado geological maps focused Travelers on the Santa Fe Trail On today’s maps you will find
on valuable mining resources located in called the “Purgatorie River” the Picket Wire, Picketwire, Canyonlands
the rocky high country because “Picketwire River”. You will find and Canyon Lands. Canyon is the most
minerals were the primary industry. As “Picketwire Canyon lands" on modern common altered name in Colorado.
the exploration for fuel resources m a p s o f L o s A n i m a s C o u n t y. Canon, Canyon and cañon should be
became more prominent, geologic According to legend, a group of used interchangeably. Canon was
mapping began to focus on the lower Spanish soldiers died in the Purgatoire derived from the Spanish word cañon
sedimentary basins. Today, the River Valley while looking for lost meaning canyon. If you aren’t
historical geological maps are still of treasures in the 17th century. Without confused now you will be later. It is to
value to the small scale miner because having the benefits of clergy to perform be hoped that the resources provided in
of their historical documentation. their last rites, these men would be lost this article will help clarify some of
souls, banished to Purgatory. After this, your map research making your mining
In your research you may come the river became known as "El Rio de exploration more successful.
across names or locations which no las Perdidas en Purgatorio," the River
longer exist. It might be the name of a of Lost Souls in Purgatory. By the 18th

Lin Smith 5
 “Maps are like milk: their
What’s
NAMES MAP RESEARCH
information is perishable, and
In A Name? it is wise to check the date.”
Mark Monmonier
Names on maps are important for
many reasons, and one reason you might need in your mining
research is territorial boundaries. The early territories in
Colorado demonstrate the conflict over the ownership of land
and boundaries. The original 16 counties in Colorado were
difficult to define because they were being newly surveyed
and explored. Both Larimer and Grand County claimed land
which contained valuable mineral resources. In 1886 the
Colorado Supreme Court awarded the valuable land to
Larimer County. Cache Creek is a good example of the
changing boundary lines as it was originally located in Lake
County when the boundaries were changed Cache Creek was
in Chaffee County.
There are a variety of reasons why names are on maps,
for example because of a physical land feature, individuals
associated with a mineral discovery, relationship to a stage
coach, railroad or supply route, etc. Many years ago, an army
expedition explored Colorado, going from Fort Bridger,
Wyo., to old Fort Massachusetts, Colorado. In this area are
bad lands, eroded into curious forms, which suggest a ruined
city, and the commander of the expedition gave the locality
the name of Goblin City, which appeared on his map. The
map makers, in their haste to fill up the blanks in this
unsettled region, jumped to the conclusion that this was a
bona fide settlement, and gave it a place on their maps-a
place which it has kept. Not only did the commercial maps
makers, fall into this error, but such authorities as the United
States Engineer Office and General Land Office adopted the
name. The name was gradually changed from Goblin to
Golin, and then to Golden City. While more than one
enterprising map maker, assuming probably that a city cannot
Pedestals of Jurassic
sandstone and mudstone.
Goblin Valley, San
Rafael Swell. Emery
County, Utah. February
1966. USGS
ID. Hamilton, W.B. 1736cthw
b01736
Lin Smith
exist without means
of communication
with other
settlements,
constructed on
paper a road down
the White River to it
which was carefully
copied onto other maps by other map makers. It is scarcely
necessary to add, that there is not, and never was, a
settlement in this locality.
On the map of Colorado in 1901 appeared the name
Kahnah Creek, applied to a small branch of Gunnison River.
'The word Kahnah, in the Ute language, means, "I don't
know," and was the answer given by an Indian when asked
the name of the stream. This story is capped by the name Pah
River, applied by an early army explorer to the North Fork of
the Gunnison. It seems that, pointing to the stream, the
explorer asked a Ute Indian its name. " Pah," answered the
Indian. Pah is the Ute word for water.
Place names have changed over time and with the use of
reference resources you may be able to find alternate
spellings. Cache Creek can be listed as Cash Creek; an 1884
map by Neil Louis lists it as Cash Creek, as well as an 1867
War Dept. Map listing it as Cash Creek. Reflect on the
number of Spanish names found in Colorado and their often
mispronunciation. They may or may not have been named by
a particular culture and thus they are not pronounced or
spelled correctly. Imagine my confusion when we arrived
over 24 years ago in Colorado Springs. I kept looking for
“Will-a-met” and could not find it. That is because I had
lived in Oregon and was familiar with the “Willamette”.
6
 Place Names
NAMES MAP RESEARCH
transform through time
Place names are artifacts that evolve
through time due to a variety of
circumstances. The purpose of a place may
have changed such as from a gold mine to a
silver mine. Ownership changes will cause
name changes, and you will find that there
were numerous foreign investors as well as
investors from out of state that were involved
in the mines in Colorado. This may increase
the difficulty of your search when having to
go through more wide-ranging records. In
Rocky Mountain National Park Lily
Mountain has gone through numerous name
changes. You will find a variety of spellings,
Lillie, Lilly, Lily and Lillie and it was not until
the Colorado Geographic Board stepped in
and labeled it Lily Mountain that its name
was permanent. Maps of the 17th, 18th,
and 19th-century reflect a variety of names
being applied to the modern day Colorado
River and its tributaries as cartographers
learned or made-up the geography. It was
commonly known as Tizon since 1540.
Jedediah Smith named it Seedskeedee, but he
also noted that the natives called it Colorado.
Frequently, there are patterns in how
geographic features are named. Names can
give clues as to the geological features of an
area such as valley, creek, plateau, placer, etc.
Mountains and other land forms are usually
named after their physical description or their
location. Green Mountain Creek was named
for the nearby Green Mountain. Golden
Gate Canyon took its name from Gold Gate
City named for Tom Golden. In Boulder
County there is a Lick Skillet Gulch,
supposedly miners didn’t do dishes! A peak
named 71 in Colorado is so named because
when its gullies fill with snow they form the
number 71.
Numerous mines were named after their
discoverers. Ralston Diggins was named after
Lewis A. Ralston who discovered gold there
Additional Factors
with old mining maps
Maps are subject to distortion by
the person who created them often to
influence public opinion. The
cartographer might have generalized his
map to hide features that he did not
want to disclose.
Maps can distort the size, shape,
distance and direction of an area. You
need to keep an open mind in your
interpretations.
Lin Smith
Let us look at the map, for maps,
like faces, are the signature of
history.
Will Durant
on 6/22/1850. In Park County there was a
Chinamen’s Gulch which was a Chinese
town. There were many Chinese miners in
the area.
West of Nederland is the town of
Eldorado. Eldorado originally was Happy
Camp but its name was changed in the 1890s
during a gold boom, to the more prosperous
name of a Spanish American city. Ironically
Eldorado’s mail was confused with another
town in California and the name was
shortened to Eldora. Supposedly one miner
felt divine guidance had led him to his
discovery and thus the town of Providence.
Though their names have changed, some
of these places may be noted on an old map.
The location of some others may be found in
sources such as lists of abandoned post offices,
local histories, government records, microfilm
records, or clippings from old newspapers, old
city directories, or old county atlases kept in
Numerous handbooks that were
printed during the “Pike’s Peak or Bust”
gold rush were written by individuals
who had never visited the area, but were
quick to give directions and suggestions.
The pressure was on to produce maps
for the thousands participating in the
gold rushes and as a result accuracy was
compromised.
The techniques and knowledge
about the Colorado Territory were just
emerging and those surveying or writing
about the area were using limited
knowledge and resources.
Some map makers make
their maps incorrect to
keep people from locating
information
Even the most accurate map
maker cannot eliminate
distortion
Artistic renditions and reality
can have different perspectives
Maps can and do have errors
that can be copied from map
to map
Information can be distorted
and biased. What was the
purpose of the map?
the library archives of a town, city, or county
in the region.
The best place to begin research is at a
local public or college library. As a first step,
you may want to consider locating some of
the following books, all of which are good
sources of information.
Map Collections in the United States and
Canada: A Directory (compiled by David K.
Carrington and Richard W. Stephenson)
Antique Map Reproductions: A Directory of
Publishers & Distributors of Antique Map,
Atlas & Globe Facsimiles & Reproductions
(edited by Gregory C. McIntosh)
Guide to U.S. Map Resources (edited by
David A. Cobb)
Many libraries have the current
edition of The Map Catalog: Vantage
Press, a division of Random House,
New York, 1990. This book describes
features and sources worldwide of new
and old maps, atlases, and related
information. It has sections on
researching old maps, history maps,
maps of the United States and of
foreign countries, State, and provincial
maps, county maps, urban maps, city
plans, boundary maps, census maps,
railroad maps, topographic maps, etc.
7
 MAP RESEARCH ✓Colorado Places by County The US GenWeb Project
http://cogenweb.com/coplaces/

These pages provide a directory to Colorado place names and show the county in which that place exists or existed..

Colorado Place Names (Toponymy)

http://www.usends.com/Explore/Colorado/placenames.html

This site list extensive pronunciations and spellings. Spanish, French and Indian Names are given. Providing an interesting
NAMES

history of the where the names came from.

Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, Yale U.
http://peabody.research.yale.edu/COLLECTIONS/gnis/

Jefferson County Place Names

http://www.co.jefferson.co.us/placenames/

Gives history and name origin if available for towns, ranches, campgrounds, streets, buildings etc.

National Archives, Record Group 28, Records of the Post office Department Division of
Topography 1773-1971
http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=357&jScript=true

✓Place Names In Colorado Western History and Genealogy Denver Library

http://history.denverlibrary.org/research/place_names/index.html

✔USGS Board on Geographic Names

http://geonames.usgs.gov/

A search entry of Park County, Colorado, Mines yielded several mines. When clicking on the Sweethome mine as an
example, specific information including its location, coordinates, elevation and citations were listed. In addition mapping
services are available which will link to a display of the location in US mapping services.
The original program of names standardization addressed the complex issues of domestic geographic feature names during
the surge of exploration, mining, and settlement of western territories after the American Civil War. Inconsistencies and
contradictions among many names, spellings, and applications became a serious problem to surveyors, map makers, and
scientists who required uniform, non-conflicting geographic nomenclature.

The Town Lot shaft house of the Wolf Tongue Mining Company. Nederland,
Boulder County, Colorado. September 3, 1909. USGS
Local and State Maps
ID. Hess, F.L.  407 hfl00407
They can be the most detailed maps and are easy to
find
• To find a map of a certain feature of the
infrastructure, first determine which agency is
responsible (BLM, Forest Service, etc.)
• Since post 9/11 it is difficult to find information
regarding pipelines and utilities
• States usually maintain road maps/data
• Local (city & county) entities maintain water/
sewage systems, local roads, zoning, open
space, etc.
• Some maps/data are free or available at low costs
• (Chamber of Commerce, Tourist sites, AAA, etc.)

Lin Smith 8
 MAP RESEARCH
NAMES
Topographic Mapping
U.S. Geological Survey
Because the USGS began making topographic maps soon
after its creation in 1879 and continues to do so today, these
maps provide over a century of historical snapshots of any
community, region, or landform. Almost 2 million natural and
manmade features are identified in the USGS topographic map
series. These geographic names form a primary reference
system essential for the communication of cartographic
information. Beyond map labeling, geographic names are part
of the Nation's living heritage. The origins and meanings of
geographic names, derived from many languages, show
national, personal, and social ingredients of life, past and
present.
Some of the oldest geographic names found on U.S. maps
are from Native American languages. Names like Adirondack,
Chippewa, Chesapeake, Shenandoah, Choctaw, Yukon, and the
names of 28 States are derived from various Native American
languages. U. S. Geographic names are often rich in
description, local color, and national history. Names like Gold
Lin Smith
A geological party on its way to map the Cripple
Creek mining district, Colorado, 1893.
USGS
“In making general maps of a mining district, only
monuments and important locations need be
accurately shown. This accurate work which is the
first to be done forms a skeleton on which to make
a general map. The topography can be filled in by a
transit fitted with stadia hairs and a compass”
The Principles and Practice of Surveying 1917
Hill, Nugget Gulch, Golden City, Golden Park, Big Hill,
Sunnyside in Colorado all paint descriptive pictures of the
places, features, and areas they represent. Pope’s Nose, Lost
Trail, Wagon Wheel Gap, Bonanza, Pleasant Valley, Free Gold,
Rattlesnake Park (all in Colorado in the 1880s), evoke the
dreams, fears, and color of the frontier.
The standardization of geographic names in the United
States began late in the 19th century. The surge in mapping and
scientific activities after the Civil War left the accuracy and
spelling of a large number of names in doubt. This posed a
serious problem to mapmakers and scientists who require
nonconflicting nomenclature. The U.S. Board on Geographic
Names was established in 1890 as the central authority to deal
with naming conflicts. This interagency body, chaired by the
U.S. Department of the Interior, helps standardize the spelling
and application of geographic names on maps and documents
published by the U.S. Government.
9
 obtain men to continue operations. Thus Transactions of the
HISTORICAL REPORTS MAP RESEARCH
Mining Reporter
the indifference and carelessness of a few American Institute of Mining Engineers
July to December 1905
former operators render impossible the Vol. XL, 1910
Notable lack of accurate mine
maps completion of a scheme which would Mine Mapping
Our attention is not infrequently benefit the entire community. Many years ago most mining
called to a deplorable accident or an companies thought it amply sufficient to
abandoned project due primarily to a lack In these two instances we see not only have a surface-map of their properties
of careful records of former underground the advantage which would accrue from and a composite map showing the
operations. This is a form of more attention to this phase of mining, different underground workings in their
improvidence that is not at all in keeping but also the obligation which devolves mines. Today, almost every important
with the scientific spirit of modern upon the miner to conduct his operations
concern maintains, in addition to the
mining, yet we fear that it is altogether in the most scientific and painstaking
too prevalent. Mining operations are in manner. The ordinary physical hazards of above, both stope and assay maps, while
mining are sufficiently great without many of the larger companies add
the nature of an investigation of
unknown regions, and as such, require being increased by neglect of precautions individual-level horizontal and vertical
that a careful record be kept of the that are within the reach of all. Again, the cross-section maps showing the
ground covered and the results obtained. financial risks are such that advantage underground geology in full. Upon these
This is necessary not only as a protection should be taken of every opportunity to maps conventional designs in black ink
to subsequent investigators working secure, while they may be had, such data are used to designate the various rocks,
along the same line, but as a means of and statistics as may have an economic while the different veins or vein-systems
providing an accurate historical record bearing on the mine or the district. are shown in colors. These sections are
for the guidance of the operator in his frequently drawn also upon glass sheets,
future work. Cases may arise,
furthermore, wherein the failure to have Transactions of the which are then inserted in wooden
American Institute of Mining Engineers frames provided with vertical or
provided such maps and records may
Vol. XL, 1910 horizontal slots or grooves cut at the
defeat the consummation of a project of
great economic importance to the mine Inadequate System proper relative distances apart to
or the district in which it is situated. An entirely inadequate system for correspond with any desired planes of
filing maps and survey records of cross-section or with the working-levels
Within the past few weeks two abandoned mines with either the county of the mines in question. (The WMMI
instances have been cited which clearly or the State authorities. The absence of has an example of one of these)
illustrate these contentions. Our readers definite knowledge compels a new
may recall the death of two California
miners, who, while driving a tunnel to
adjacent mine, as a matter of safety, to Engineering and Mining
keep farther away from an old abandoned Journal, vol. 29 May 8, 1890
tap the shaft workings for the purpose of
mine, which may be full of water or gas, Pocket Maps
unwatering them, suddenly and
than would be necessary. At present it is Mr. H. L. Thayer, of Leadville,
unexpectedly reached their goal only to
Colorado, sends us specimens of his new
be overwhelmed by the pent-up waters in impossible to find any map of a mine
pocket-maps of Kansas, Colorado, and
which they met their death. It is quite abandoned some years back. There is
New Mexico. The latter shows the land-
certain that had accurate mine maps been also insufficient attention paid to
offices, townships, county-seats, cities
available, this accident would not have compelling operators of mines that are and towns, railroad limits, military
happened. about to be abandoned to bring up the reservations, Indian reservations, private
mine-surveys in a careful manner. In my grants, and so on. (The amount of land in
A later instance, and one of slightly
opinion, the preservation of mine maps is New Mexico covered by private grants of
different character, is that of the Sinker
properly a function for the State, as it is Spanish origin is quite astonishing.) Mr.
tunnel in Owyhee County, Idaho. This is
Thayer's map of Colorado has been
one of the important projects of the state, now for a county to record deeds, and
compiled from recent surveys, and
and was being driven to provide drainage there should be a permanent bureau
established for the proper recording of represents, on a scale of fourteen miles to
for the mines on War Eagle Mountain,
the inch, with considerable detail the
but the authorities have considered it the surveys and maps of abandoned
general topography of the State. Tourists,
necessary to suspend operations owing to mines. This bureau also should take
residents, and persons interested by
the danger of encountering water in charge of and systematically file the investment or otherwise in the regions
shafts and drifts of which no accurate maps of " going" mines. covered by these maps will find them
survey exists. In fact, the danger is so
valuable.
apparent that it has been difficult to

Lin Smith 10
CLAIMS MAP RESEARCH
photo by Lin Smith
Where Can a Claim be Located?
mining claims and sites on federal lands
There are Federally administered lands in 19 states where you
may locate a mining claim or site. These states are Alaska,
Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming. In these states, the BLM manages
the surface of public land and the Forest Service manages the
surface of National Forest System (NFS) land. The BLM is
responsible for the subsurface on both public and NFS land.
Only public domain minerals are locatable minerals (those
minerals that have never left federal ownership). Reconveyed
minerals are considered public domain minerals under the
mining laws. Mining claims cannot be staked on acquired
minerals; a prospecting permit (43 CFR 3500) is required to
prospect for acquired minerals. Mining claims can be located
on open public land administered by another federal agency
(most commonly on Forest Service land).
Lin Smith
Areas withdrawn from location of mining claims
include:
• National Parks
• National Monuments
• Indian reservations
• Most reclamation projects under the
Bureau of Reclamation
• Military reservations
• Scientific testing areas
• Most wildlife protection areas managed
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mining claims may not be located on land that
has been:
• Designated by Congress as part of the
National Wilderness Preservation
System
• Designated as a wild portion of a Wild
and Scenic River, or
• Withdrawn by Congress for study as a
Wild and Scenic River
You may prospect and locate claims and sites on public and
NFS land open to mineral entry. Claims may not be located in
areas closed to mineral entry by a special act of Congress,
regulation, or public land order. These areas are said to be
"withdrawn" from mineral entry.
Land withdrawn for power development may be subject to
mining entry and claim location only under certain conditions.
There is usually a ¼-mile buffer zone withdrawn from location
of mining claims on either side of a river while the river is
being studied for inclusion in the Wild and Scenic River
System. Additions to the National Wilderness Preservation
System are withdrawn to mining claim location at the time of
designation by Congress. Mining activities are permitted only
on those mining claims that can show proof of discovery either
(1) by December 31, 1983, or (2) on the date of designation as
wilderness by Congress.
11
CLAIMS MAP RESEARCH General Mining Law
of 1872
The federal law governing locatable
minerals is the General Mining Law of
1872 (May 10, 1872), which declared all
valuable mineral deposits in land
belonging to the United States to be free
and open to exploration and purchase.
The General Mining Law of May 10,
1872, as amended (30 U.S.C. 29 43 CFR
3833) is the major Federal law governing
locatable minerals. This law allows
citizens of the United States the
opportunity to explore for, discover, and
purchase certain valuable mineral
deposits on those Federal lands that are
open for mining claim location and
patent (open to mineral entry). These
mineral deposits include most metallic
mineral deposits and certain nonmetallic
and industrial minerals. The law sets
general standards and guidelines for
claiming the possessory right to a
valuable mineral deposit discovered
during exploration. The General Mining
Law allows for the enactment of State
laws governing location and recording of
mining claims and sites that are
consistent with Federal law. The Federal
Regulations implementing the General
Mining Law are found at Title 43 of the
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) in
Groups 3700 and 3800.
Federal Land Policy &
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA)
This Act did not amend the 1872 law, but
did affect the recordation and
maintenance of claims. Persons holding
existing claims were required to record
their claims with BLM by October 1979,
and all new claims were required to be
recorded with BLM. FLPMA’s purpose
was to provide BLM with information on
the locations and number of unpatented
mining claims, mill sites, and tunnel sites
to determine the names and addresses of
current owners, and to remove any cloud
of title on abandoned claims.
Lin Smith
What is a Mining Claim? BOTH the county recorder's office as
well as the Colorado State Office of the
BLM. Briefly, the state's deadlines for
A mining claim is a parcel of land for
which the claimant has asserted a right of locations are:
possession and the right to develop and
LODE CLAIMS - 3 months to
extract a discovered, valuable, mineral monument, claim, and record location
deposit. This right does not include certificate with the county; and
exclusive surface rights (see Public Law PLACER CLAIMS - 30 days to
84-167). monument, claim, and record location
certificate with the county.
Locatable minerals include both metallic BLM's deadlines for location are:
minerals (gold, silver, lead, etc.) and ALL CLAIMS AND SITES - 90 days
nonmetallic minerals (fluorspar, asbestos, from date of location to record claims
mica, etc.). It is nearly impossible to list with the BLM Colorado State Office.
all locatable minerals because of the
complex legal requirements for No specific form for location certificates
is required, but the basic information can
discovery.
be found in Public Land Regulations at
43 CFR 3833.11. It can also be found in
Locating a the circular Mining Claims and Sites on
mining claim Federal Lands available through the
Colorado State Office. Each location or
Before you can locate a claim, you must site must be accompanied by a $15
determine if the lands are open to nonrefundable processing fee, a $34
mining. You can find this out at any BLM refundable location fee, and the first
office. No claims can be staked in areas year's maintenance fee payment of $140
for a total of $189. A separate location
closed to mineral entry under certain
notice is required for each claim or site
acts, regulations, or public land orders recorded.
(such areas are referred to as withdrawn
lands). The BLM Colorado State Office
and field offices have appropriate land
and mineral status maps and records for Rules for Gold Panning
you to make this determination. dredging and sluicing
On lands open to location, you may Gold panning and non-mechanized
prospect and properly locate claims and sluicing using intake pipe of 4-inches or
sites. If lands have already been claimed,
less diameter are unregulated and
you may want to find another location.
allowed in most locations on BLM-
The Colorado State Office maintains a
record of these locations on their LR managed lands without a permit.
2000 database.
Recreational dredging and sluicing are
If your parcel of land is open to location, regulated, and all dredgers operating on
the next step is staking the claim. Federal BLM-managed lands must contact local
law specifies that claim boundaries must field offices and submit a notice or obtain
be distinctly and clearly marked to be a permit before work begins.
readily identifiable. Colorado statutes
have more detailed requirements for Casual use activities are typically limited
marking boundaries. For specific state
to battery-operated equipment, dry
requirements, contact the Colorado
washers, and equipment that uses
Division of Reclamation, Mining and
Safety at (303) 866-3567 or recycling processes. Casual use refers to
www.mining.state.co.us .Recordation of activities resulting in negligible
mining claims -- location certificates for disturbance to public lands.
claims and sites must be recorded with USGS
12
 Mineral Patents The BLM regulations establish Mining Claim Recordation
CLAIMS MAP RESEARCH
BLM three levels of authorization, (1) BLM
casual use, (2) notice level, and (3)
A patented mining claim is one for plans of operations. Casual use When a mining claim is filed with the
which the Federal Government has involves minor activity with hand BLM it will be recorded in the BLM’s
passed its title to the claimant, making tools, no explosives, and no automated Mining Claim System,
it private land. A person may mine called the Legacy Rehost2000 or
mechanized earth moving
and remove minerals from a mining LR2000.
equipment. No permit is required.
claim without a mineral patent.
Notice level activities involve use • The mining claimant will file a
However, a mineral patent gives the
owner exclusive title to the locatable of explosives and/or earth moving detailed map of the location
minerals. In most cases, it also gives equipment. The total annual which will remain in the case file
the owner title to the surface and unreclaimed surface disturbance at the BLM State office.
other resources. Requirements for must not exceed 5 acres per • LR2000 will record the MC land
filing mineral patent applications may calendar year. A plan of operations description only to the quarter
be found at 43 CFR 3860. is required for all other surface section.
disturbance activities. A full • After the mining claim is
Mineral Patent Moratorium: environmental assessment and recorded in LR2000 it may be
reclamation bonding are required. automatically recorded in NILS
Effective October 1, 1994, Congress GeoCommunicator after a few
imposed a moratorium on spending weeks.
appropriated funds for the acceptance • Not all mining claims that are in
or processing of mineral patent Surface Use/Occupancy LR2000 can be converted into
applications that had not yet received BLM NILS GeoCommunicator.
First Half Final Certificate (FHFC) or • The main reason they fail is that
were not in Washington, D. C. for This program area concerns the NILS GeoCommunicator doesn’t
Secretarial review of FHFC on or proper occupation (residency or contain a PLSS land description
before September 30, 1994. Until theseasonal occupation of mining claims for the area. PLSS stands for the
moratorium is lifted, the BLM will Public Land Survey System.
by mining claimants. It is
not accept any new applications. • PLSS is a rectangular-based
administered pursuant to the Surface
system that is used to survey the
Resources Act of 1955 (30 USC land.
611-615; 43 CFR 3715). It provides
Mining Law BLM that if you live on a mining claim or Public Land Survey
Surface Management site, the occupation must be justified
System
as reasonably incident to mining and
This program area concerns exploration and that no other A set of baselines and principal
authorizing and permitting of reasonable options for shelter are meridians that define rectangular
mineral exploration, mining, and available while working the claims. divisions of land.
reclamation actions on the public The occupation must be authorized by
lands administered by BLM. It is the proper field office through a Townships nominally 6 miles x 6
mandated by section 302(b) of notice or plan of operations. There are miles.
FLPMA (43 USC 1732[b] and severe penalties for unauthorized
603[c]; 43 CFR 3802 and 43 CFR residences and occupancies (see the Townships divided into 36 sections.
Sections can be further subdivided in
3809). All operations of any nature regulations at 43 CFR 3715).
quarter quarters
that disturb the surface of the
mining claim or site require Public Room - Information Access A claim may have multiple records
authorization. The necessary Center if it lies in more than one section.
authorizations and permits are 2850 Youngfield Street Records are coded as follows:
obtained through the proper BLM Lakewood, Colorado 80215 First record = 020
field office. Hours: 9 am - 4 p.m.,  Monday -
Second record= 021
Friday
Third record = 022
Phone: 303-239-3600
Fourth record= 023

Lin Smith 13
 Types of Claims
CLAIMS MAP RESEARCH

BLM
Two Types of Mining Claims corporation is 20 acres per claim. Corporations
• Lode Claims-Deposits subject to lode claims may not locate association placers unless they are
include classic veins or lodes having well-defined in association with other locators or corporations
boundaries. They also include other rock in-place as co-locators.
bearing valuable minerals and may be broad
zones of mineralized rock. Examples include Two Other Types of Mineral Entries
quartz or other veins bearing gold or other
metallic minerals and large volume, but low- • Mill Sites - A mill site must be located on "non-
grade disseminated gold deposits. Descriptions mineral land" and must be noncontiguous to the
are by metes and bounds surveys beginning at the lode or placer with which it is associated. Its
discovery point on the claim and including a purpose is to support a lode or placer mining
reference to natural objects or permanent operation. A mill site must include the erection of
monuments. Federal statute limits their size to a a mill or reduction works and/or may include
maximum of 1500 feet in length, and a maximum other uses in support of a mining operation.
width of 600 feet (300 feet on either side of the Descriptions are by metes and bounds if on
vein). unsurveyed land and by legal subdivision if on
surveyed land (described the same as placer
• Placer Claims - Placer claims are defined as claims). The maximum size is 5 acres.
"...including all forms of deposit, excepting veins • Tunnel Sites - A tunnel site is a subsurface
of quartz, or other rock in-place." In other words right-of-way under Federal land open to mineral
every deposit, not located with a lode claim, entry. It is used for access to lode mining claims
should be appropriated by a placer location. or to explore for blind or undiscovered veins,
Placer claims, where practicable, are located by lodes, or ledges not currently claimed or known
legal subdivision (aliquot part and complete lots). to exist on the surface. A tunnel site can be up to
The maximum size is 20 acres per locator, and the 3,000 feet in length.
maximum for an association placer is 160 acres
for 8 or more locators.
MiningDoc 11/1/04 The
4:14maximum size in
PM Page 10 MiningDoc 11/1/04 4:14 PM Page 9
Alaska is 40 acres. The maximum size for a Each claim has one record for each owner.
The first owner is coded beginning with "100"
and are numbered sequentially upward as
Method of necessary.
Drawing of a section of land showing types of placer
Describing Placer
mining claims and a mill site. The legal description Drawing
R_TYP= of 100
an ideal lodeowner)
(first mining claim (Metes and
Mining Claims and
Mill Sites. method is based on the U.S. Public Land Survey. Bounds
R_TYP=survey
101method)
(second in California
owner) (Cal. Pub. Res.
MOUNT DIABLO MERIDIAN (MDM)
Code, Chapt.
R_TYP= 4, Sec.
102 2316).
(third owner)
T.10 S., R. 21 E., Section 20
NE
ONE SECTION (1sq. mile = 640 acres)
1320'

X 0'
150 ine
End

660'
L
330'

Side
Line

NW 1/4 NE 1/4
660'

NW SE
20 X
45˚ Dip
Drawing of an ideal
lode mining claim
2640'

SW 1/4 SE 1/4
600

(Metes and Bound

300

X Discovery monument
'

Survey Method
'

5280'
40 ACRE PLACER CLAIM
(2 locators) NW1/4 NW1/4
SEC.20, T.10S., R21E., MDM
Corner monument
SW
Centerline of claim End line monument
20 ACRE PLACER CLAIM
(Centerline of vein, ledge,
(1 locator) E1/2 NE1/4 NE1/4
SEC.20, T.10S., R21E., MDM
lode, tabular deposit, or zone)

160 ACRE PLACER CLAIM 5 ACRE MILL SITE

(8 locators) SW1/4 (All Types)
SEC.20, T.10S., R21E., MDM S1/2 SW1/4 NW1/4 NE1/4 Most State laws require conspicuous and substantial
SEC.20, T.10S., R21E., MDM
monuments for all types of claims and sites.
Figure 2. Methods of Describing Placer Mining Claims
and Mill Sites
Lin Smith Stone
Mound
3 1/2"
Wood
2"+
Metal
14
Mill Sites must be located on non-mineral land. The
3'+

3'+

3'+

Post Post
mill site may be located in the same manner as a lode
 KIDS CORNER
Map Research
BLM Learning Landscapes
Colorado Educational
Programs/Resources
http://www.blm.gov/education/
LearningLandscapes/menu/states/
colorado.html
Doing History, Keeping the
Past
http://hewit.unco.edu/dohist/mining/
themes.htm
A Colorado history site for kids. (But, Big
Kids can visit too!) Colorado Mining.
USGS Geography Ed. Materials
http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/pubslists/
edu.html
Map Adventures, Global Change, Map
Adventures, Volcanoes, Exploring Maps
Lin Smith
The Encyclopedia of Earth
http://www.eoearth.org/
A electronic reference about the Earth, its
natural environments, and their
interaction with society. The articles are
written in non-technical language and
will be useful to students, educators,
scholars, professionals, as well as to the
general public.
Using GPS & GIS in Education
Yahoo
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nygps/
The use of GPS (Global Positioning
System) and the Internet for math,
science, and social studies instruction
Colorado's Geography:
Mapping Our Past University of
Northern Colorado
National Geographic Society's
Colorado Geography Education Fund
photo by Lin Smith
http://geography.unco.edu/mapco/
default.htm
Colorado's Geography: Mapping Our
Past is a set of activities for elementary-
and middle-grades students to explore
Colorado's historical geography. The
project includes standards-based
geography content and geographic
information science (GIS) mapping
technology. Units cover Colorado's
regions and environment and historical
changes in its population, transportation,
and economic resources.
National Biological Information
Infrastructure
http://kids.nbii.gov/index.html
Create an animal coloring book, learn
about invasive species, read stories about
interesting animals, play nature games,
test your knowledge of the natural world,
make cool stuff and more...
15
KID’S CORNER MAP RESEARCH
BLM
Environmental Education You are never too young or
http://www.blm.gov/education/ too old to pan!
00_kids/contents.html

BLM GETOUTdoors USA!

http://www.getoutdoorsusa.org/ National Park Service
kids_corner/ Teaching With Historic Places
In the Get Outdoors USA! Kids http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/
Corner, children can discover the twhp/
Great Outdoors with a simple click
of their mouse. This list of kid-
friendly links to online sites and
Colorado Geographic
games provides endless fun and
Alliance
teaches about the wonders of the
http://www.uccs.edu/~coga/
outdoors.
Sponsored by the National
Geographic Education Foundation.
GEO Coaching
http://www.geocaching.com/

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure

hunting game played throughout the
world by adventure seekers equipped
with GPS devices. The basic idea is to
locate hidden containers, called
geocaches, outdoors and then share
your experiences online.
Google Earth
http://earth.google.com/
Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on
Earth to view satellite imagery, maps,
terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in
outer space to the canyons of the ocean.
photo by Lin Smith
NASA for Kids
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/kids/
Houghton Mifflin Geonet
http://www.eduplace.com/geonet/
index/html
National Geographic Kids
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
National Park Service
Web Rangers
http://www.nps.gov/webrangers/
This is the National Park Service's on-
line Junior Ranger program for kids of
all ages. If you love your National
Parks, Monuments and Historic Sites,
this site is for you.
Smithsonian
http://smithsonianeducation.org/
students/index.html

National Park Service United States Dept. Of Labor

Google Map Pedometer Fun Guide Mine Safety
http://www.trails.com/ http://www.nps.gov/learn/gozone.htm http://www.msha.gov/kids/kidshp.htm
googlemap.aspx

American Recreation and they are eager to join a program that

Coalition
outdoor recreation
http://www.funoutdoors.com/
CO Kids Outdoor Bill of Rights
http://www.funoutdoors.com/node/
view/2438
An exciting new initiative aims to
incorporate environmental education,
photo by Lin Smith
both in and out of the classroom, into the
last few days of the school year. ED
OUT is an optimal partnership
opportunity for many federal agencies,
provides an exciting learning experience
in the final days of the school year,
introduces students to careers within
their agency while building an
appreciation for how those careers are
important to the nation, challenges the
trend toward sedentary, indoor lifestyles,
and offers students concrete and
stimulating ways to keep learning during
the summer months and gain knowledge
directly tied to the subsequent academic
year's curriculum.

Lin Smith 16
 MAP RESEARCH Aerial Photographs of Colorado
http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/aerialphotos/about.asp#collection
The Jerry Crail Johnson Earth Sciences and Map Library at the University of Colorado has a collection of aerial photographs
taken from 1938 through the 1970s.

Art Source International

http://www.artsourceinternational.com/historic_photo.cfm
PHOTOS

Over the last 25 years Art Source International has accumulated over 2000 original glass plates, negatives and original
photographs of Colorado. The photographs date from around 1865 to 1940. This collection includes photographs by well
known western photographers such as William Henry Jackson, J.B. Sturtevant (a.k.a. Rocky Mountain Joe), Louis McClure,
along with many one of a kind images. Many of the photographs illustrate historic Boulder, Denver, and Aspen as well as
over 50 other Colorado towns. Other photos include towns that time forgot, industries, and landscapes from Colorado.

✓Association of American Geographers Places On Line

http://www.placesonline.org/sitelists/nam/usa/colorado/colorado.asp

Historic Colorado Photographs. A large and high quality collection of historical photos taken between 1865 and 1940.
Indexed by over one hundred places in the state. Great links to places around the state and historical references.

BLM Photo Library

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/bpd.html

✔Colorado Atlas of Panoramic Aerial Images

http://130.166.124.2/co_panorama_atlas/index.html

Great color aerial views. The atlas contains approximately 1700 computer generated panoramas that portray every square
foot of the state's mountain and neighboring high plains counties. If you want to see the stream beds and how they run this is
a great place to start.

Colorado Geology Photo journals

http://www.cliffshade.com/colorado/

Colorado Historical Society

http://www.coloradohistory.org/chs_Library/photographs.htm

The 750,000 photographs and 250,000 negatives in the Colorado Historical Society's photograph collection reflect Colorado
history from the earliest times to the present. The photographs show the growth and development of Colorado, its people,
industries, agriculture and communities.

Colorado State Archives

http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/tour/post.htm
Digital Records of agriculture, buildings, business, cities & towns, education, governor & legislature, military mining,
officials, parks & recreation, places, social concern, transportation, and water.

Lin Smith 17
 MAP RESEARCH ✓Denver Public Library
http://history.denverlibrary.org/images/index.html

Digital Image Collection Over 120,000 of the images in the collection have been digitized and are available for viewing
online in the Digital Image Catalog (formerly Photos west).

Hal Post Mining Artifacts

http://www.halslamppost.com/
PHOTOS

Great collection of old catalogs for history references.

Historical Aerial Photographs of Parts of Colorado, 1938-1947

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/aerialphotos/home.asp

Historical Photos of Colorado and Utah Mark L. Evans Collection

http://www.narrowgauge.org/ngc/html/mevans-collection/mevans-collection.html

Leadville Colorado – A Capsule History Ted Kierscey Collection

http://www.narrowgauge.org/ncmap/ted/dspp2_leadville.html

National Aerial Photography Program (NAPP)

http://eros.usgs.gov/#/Guides/napp.

National Biological Information Infrastructure Library of Images From the Environment

http://life.nbii.gov/dml/home.do

National Park Service Digital Image Archives

http://www.nps.gov/pub_aff/imagebase.html

✓Photographs Of The American West Library of Congress

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/award97/codhtml/hawphome.html

Over 30,000 photographs, drawn from the holdings of the Western History and Genealogy Department at Denver Public
Library

EXPLORATION: U.S. Geological and

Geographical Survey of the
Territories (Hayden Survey) Sheet
number 43A. Topographic and
geologic map "Showing the Crushing
in of the beds at Golden City."
Includes Mt. Vernon, North and
South Table Mountains, Golden,
Clear Creek, Van Bibber Creek,
Rawlston Creek, Murphy Mine.
Colorado, 1873. USGS
ID. Holmes, W.H. 74480030

Lin Smith 18
 MAP RESEARCH ✔Sangres.com
http://www.sangres.com/

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Photography and Engineering Drawings Collections

http://www.usbr.gov/history/photos.html

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Digital Library

http://www.fws.gov/digitalmedia
PHOTOS

US Forest Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/photovideo/

USGS Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images

http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/aerial/aerial.html
A good explanation of the satellite images and aerial photographs.

USGS PhotoFinder
http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/?dataset_name=NAPP

The "quick and easy way to find and order Aerial Photos" from USGS.

USGS Photographic Library

http://libraryphoto.cr.usgs.gov/index.html

This site is designed to provide free viewing and downloading of the entire USGS photographic collection.

This view was taken from the summit of Mount

Lincoln. Looking south from Mount Lincoln is
Mount Bross, long famous for its great wealth
of silver-bearing rocks. The small buildings
near the summit on the left cover the Moose
Mine, richest on the mountain. Its whole face
has been plowed and furrowed over by the
prospector. Across its face two lines can be
traced, the upper, a wagon road that has been
constructed from the valley below to the very
summit of Mount Lincoln, via the low saddle
which separates the two mountains. The lower
line is the old "trail" that was traveled by hardy
little "jacks," laden with supplies for the miners
going up, and with sacks of ore going down.
To the extreme left is a portion of South Park,
and in the distance on the right the
continuation of the range along its axis to the
Buffalo Peaks. Park County, Colorado. 1873.
USGS ID. Jackson, W.H. 1323 jwh01323

Lin Smith 19
 Newspapers and
MAP RESEARCH

resource collections
The first issue of The Rocky Mountain News was Ebook and Texts Archive
printed on April 23, 1859. The Colorado Historical http://librarytechnology.org/libwebcats/index.pl?
Society, the Denver Public Library, and the Norlin SID=20100409407348632&code=lwc
LIBRARIES

The Internet Archive, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is building a

Library of the University of Colorado in Boulder house
the most extensive newspaper collections. The Denver
Public Library maintains an unpublished card index to
The Rocky Mountain News with microfilm archives.
Microfilm of the newspaper collection at the Colorado
Historical Society is available for purchase.
Donald E. Oehlerts, Guide to Colorado Newspapers,
1859-1983 may be a helpful aid in your search.
Newspapers published accounts of mining activities,
transfers of ownership, activities and mineral
production.
digital library of Internet sites and other cultural artifacts in
digital form. Like a paper library, they provide free access to
researchers, historians, scholars, and the general public.
Google Scholar
http://scholar.google.com/
Provides a search of scholarly literature across many
disciplines and sources, including theses, books, abstracts
and articles.

There is a National Newspaper program of which Google Books

Colorado is a part of with 3,400 newspaper titles http://books.google.com/
cataloged and 1.7 million pages microfilmed. This is
Search and preview millions of books from libraries and
offered through First Search and may be available at
publishers worldwide using Google Book Search.
your local library.
Ohio Historical Society Outside Links
The Denver Public Library houses many early business
http://www.ohiohistory.org/links/
directories and the Colorado Historical Society has the
1876 Colorado Business Directory.

Colorado Historic Newspaper Collection

http://www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org/Default/welcome.asp?
skin=Colorado&QS=Skin=Colorado&e

The Colorado Historic Newspapers Collection (CHNC) currently includes 147 newspapers published in
Colorado from 1859 to 1923. CHNC contains over 477,000 digitized pages and is a joint endeavor of the
Colorado State Library, the Colorado Historical Society, and generous donors throughout the state.

Open Library
http://openlibrary.org/

Open Library has over 1 million books with full text.

NARAtions

NARAtions is a blog about public access to the records of the U.S. National Archives and Records
Administration.
http://blogs.archives.gov/online-public-access

lib-web-cats
http://librarytechnology.org/libwebcats/index.pl?SID=20100409407348632&code=lwc

(Library web sites and catalogs) is a directory of libraries worldwide.

Lin Smith 20
 MAP RESEARCH Pikes Peak Library Special Collections
http://library.ppld.org/SpecialCollections/AboutSpecialCollections.asp

The term Special Collections pertains to regional history and genealogy documents that are collected and housed in the 1905
Carnegie building adjacent to Penrose Library. Materials in Special Collections cannot be checked out.

Regional History
Materials in this collection span over 115 years of regional history and document the history and development of
Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region within the framework of the Rocky Mountain West.
COLORADO AREA LIBRARIES

Genealogy
The genealogy collection of over 10,000 books and related materials includes resources for genealogical research
for the United States and Canada.

Manuscripts and Archives

These collections contain papers and records of local businesses, organizations, clubs and individuals.

Pamphlets and Ephemera

These collections contain publications by local individuals, agencies, organizations, businesses and churches.

Research and Reference Services

Staff members are trained in research and reference as well as care and management of archival manuscript
materials. Staff are available to assist patrons in the identification and location of materials. Limitations of time and
staff resources make it impossible to undertake actual research for individuals or organizations.

Address: 20 North Cascade Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

(Adjacent to the Penrose Library)
Telephone: (719) 531-6333 ext. 2253
Hours: Monday  - Thursday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Friday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.

El Paso and Old Gold mines

from Roseland Hill. Cripple
Creek District. Teller County,
Colorado. October 5, 1903.
USGS
ID. Ransome, F.L.  21rfl00521

Lin Smith 21
 MAP RESEARCH Carnegie Branch Library for Local History Boulder, Colorado
http://boulderlibrary.org/

1125 Pine Street, Boulder, CO 80302, (303) 441-3110

The Carnegie Branch Library for Local History archive collects and preserves our community’s memory for future
generations of researchers. Written, visual and audible materials created by and about Boulder-area residents are housed in
our documents room, and are available to the public and scholars for research. Collections documenting early geographic,
COLORADO AREA LIBRARIES

cultural and social regions of Boulder County contain: documents, photographs, oral history interviews, microfilm, books
and periodicals.

Center of Southwest Studies Fort Lewis College

http://swcenter.fortlewis.edu/research.shtml

1000 Rim Drive Durango, CO 970-247-7456

The Robert Delaney Southwest Research Library and its collections are open to use by any user. The books and collections
are not available for check-out.

Colorado Historical Society - Stephen Hart Library closed until 2012

http://www.coloradohistory.org/chs_Library/library.htm

The Society's collection of books, manuscripts, and photographs brings the rich documentary legacy of Colorado's past to
researchers here at home and around the world. Their newspaper collection alone--the largest in Colorado--has been
instrumental in helping genealogists find their ancestors' birth, marriage, and death records; architectural historians to identify
early buildings; lawyers to prepare legal cases; and novelists to discover new story ideas.

Colorado State Publications Library

https://athena.cde.state.co.us/screens/opacmenu_s1.html

PANDORA: The Library Catalog

Use Pandora to locate state government documents, consumer information, statistics, etc. in print, CD ROM, video,
or electronic versions.
Colorado State Publications Library
Providing Coloradans with FREE permanent public access to state government documents.
Map and directions:
The Colorado State Publications Library is located in the State Office Building at 201 East Colfax Avenue, Denver,
CO 80203. The closest major cross-streets are East Colfax Avenue and Sherman Street. To park, use one of the off-
street metered parking spaces or one of the paid lots available nearby. When you arrive, please come in through the
front doors of the building and take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Our office is in Room 314.

Colorado Virtual Library (CVL)

http://www.aclin.org/

CVL provides access to information resources at Colorado libraries.

Lin Smith 22
 MAP RESEARCH Denver Museum of Nature and Science Bailey Library and Archives
http://www.dmns.org/science/bailey-library-and-archives

The department’s collections focus on the following subjects: anthropology, geology, health science, museum
studies, paleontology, space science, zoology, and the history of the Museum.

• The searchable library catalog contains records of more than 50,000 volumes of books,
periodicals, and other published media. Included in the library’s online catalog are descriptions of
many of the Museum’s archives and image archives collections. Many scanned images may be
COLORADO AREA LIBRARIES

found at the Collaborative Digitization Program’s website and finding aids for the Museum's
archives and image archives may be found in the Rocky Mountain Online Archive.

• The library, located on Level 3 in Room 301, is open to the public from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday, and from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday (closed Sundays and holidays).

• The library will lend circulating materials to Museum members and holders of valid Colorado
library cards. Interlibrary loans and a photocopier are also available.

• Archives and image archives are available to the public by appointment between the hours of
10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
•

Data Access Fee: None Catalog and Index Type: paper: in-house on-line computer catalog Data
Delivery
•

Center Services Provided: staff research, limited number of photocopies provided free
•

✓Field Records Library Central Region Library Field Records Collection USGS
http://www.cr.usgs.gov/fieldrecords/ http://library.usgs.gov/

Denver Federal Center

MS 914 Box 25046 Denver, CO 80225-0046 Contact: Field Records Library 303/236-1005

The USGS Field Records Library is an archival collection of materials generated by Survey scientists during
project work. Most of the collection dates from after the establishment of the USGS in 1879, although the
collection includes earlier materials from the exploration surveys of the 1870s. Materials in the collection include,
but are not limited to, geologic field notes, field sketches, field maps, compilation maps, plane-table sheets, aerial
photos (many with geologic annotations), analysis reports, stratigraphic logs, columns, and cross-sections, drafts
of published as well as unpublished reports and maps, and project-related correspondence. The Field Records
Library is open to the public and visitors are welcome. Requests can also be made by letter, telephone, or e-mail.
Most materials relate to the project work done in the contiguous United States. For material relating to Alaska,
contact the USGS, Mineral Resource Surveys-Alaska Section, 4200 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska
99508-4667; telephone (907) 786-7007.

Prospector
http://prospector.coalliance.org/

A union catalog of twenty-three academic, public and special libraries in Colorado and Wyoming, including Fort
Lewis College. There are over 9 million unique items with over 25 million copies in the Prospector catalog 25
libraries from Wyoming to Durango contribute holdings to Prospector. Because of the diverse make up of
libraries in Prospector, 2/3 of the items are held solely by one library. It takes about 2-3 days to receive an item
from Prospector once it is requested.

Lin Smith 23
 MAP RESEARCH

Natural Arch under the Monument Park.

Citadel Rock in the Various studies among
Colorado Divide, near the fantastic
Palmer Lake. El Paso monuments. El Paso
County, Colorado County, Colorado
COLORADO AREA LIBRARIES

1874. 1874.
ID. Jackson, W.H.  46 ID. Jackson, W.H.  46
5jwh00465 USGS 8jwh00468 USGS

Robert W. Richardson Railroad Library

http://coloradorailroadmuseum.org/library

Houses thousands of rare photos, artifacts and documents that illustrate the rich history of railroads in Colorado. 17155 W
44th Avenue, Golden, CO 80403, 303-279-4591 or 800-365-6263

✔Rocky Mountain Online Archive

http://rmoa.unm.edu/

The Rocky Mountain Online Archive is your source of information about archival collections in Colorado, New Mexico and
Wyoming. Specialized guides, called finding aids, give detailed descriptions of primary source materials located at twenty
different repositories. Search the finding aids to discover what historical materials are available for study and where those
collections are located.

✓University of Colorado, Boulder Map Library

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/map/index.htm

The Map Library collection consists of approximately 200,000 maps, over 500 atlases and geographic reference books, and a
growing collection of digital spatial data, general and thematic maps and atlases at small and large scales, mostly from the
19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, and related reference materials such as gazetteers. The Map Library is a full Federal
Depository Library and the majority of the maps are acquired through the Federal Depository Library Program.

Benson Earth Sciences Building

2200 Colorado Avenue Campus Box 184, Boulder, CO 80309-0184
(303) 492-7578 Fax: (303) 735-4879
Hours: 8-10, M-Th; 8-5, F; 12-5, Sat; 12-10, Sun
Owns: originals; electronic copies possible in the future (pending grant funding)
Access: must examine onsite Copy Purchase Prices: $ .20 per 11x17 page

Lin Smith 24
 MAP RESEARCH Find A Federal Deposit Library
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/libraries.html#locate

Established by Congress to ensure that the American public has access to its Government's information, the Federal
Depository Library Program (FDLP) involves the acquisition, format conversion, and distribution of depository materials to
libraries throughout the United States and the coordination of Federal depository libraries.

Guide to the General Land Office Survey Plats Illinois State Library
LIBRARIES

http://www.lib.niu.edu/1999/il9904232.html
The purpose of this guide is to list all the organizations that own these plats, whether they be originals or copies; the formats
they will be found in; the respective organization's contact information, such as address, phone #, e-mail address, price of
copying, etc.

Harvard Map Collection

http://hcl.harvard.edu/libraries/maps/
Virtual Collection is a search engine for images of maps and atlases.  This collection can be searched by title, author, subject
or genre and every result will include a link to an on-line image.  Some complete map series are included, and they can be
searched as described, or browsed using index maps.  Many of the maps have been geo referenced for use in a Geographic
Information System, and links to these images and their associated GIS files can also be found through the Virtual Collection.
The Harvard Map Collection holds a wide variety of electronic atlases ranging from road atlases to trip planners to historic
atlases to state and country tourism guides

✓Library of Congress Map Collections

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
The Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress holds more than 4.5 million items, of which Map Collections
represents only a small fraction, those that have been converted to digital form. The focus of Map Collections is Americana
and Cartographic Treasures of the Library of Congress. These images were created from maps and atlases and, in general, are
restricted to items that are not covered by copyright protection.

✓Library of Congress Online Catalog

http://catalog.loc.gov/

Mary B. Ansari Map Library University of Nevada

http://www.delamare.unr.edu/Maps/
The Mary B. Ansari Map Library is the largest map collection in Nevada, containing more than 140,000 maps,
including topographic and earth-science themes, for the United States and the world.

National Park Service Selected Bibliography and Glossary

http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/publications/bulletins/nrb42/mi6.htm

Examples of periodicals and journals that were in print during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that discuss events,
technology, and personalities involved with mining during that era. The Glossary covers common mining terms.

Newberry Library Map & Cartography Collections

http://www.mapref.kunstpedia.com/

The Newberry Library provides a home to a world-class collection of books, manuscripts, and maps, and also to a growing
community of readers. Our collections, spanning many centuries, feature a wide range of materials, from illuminated
medieval manuscripts to rich genealogical resources, and from early printed books to the personal papers of Midwest authors.

Lin Smith 25
 MAP RESEARCH Trail Technical Report Archive and Image Library
http://digicoll.manoa.hawaii.edu/techreports/index.php?c=1

TRAIL-Technical Report Archive and Image Library: a collaborative project to digitize, archive, and provide persistent and
unrestricted access to federal technical reports issued before 1975.

University of Berkeley Earth Sciences & Map Library

http://library.berkeley.edu/EART/how2find.html
LIBRARIES

Good for Bibliography.

University of Wisconsin American Geographical Society Library

http://www4.uwm.edu/libraries/AGSL/cart.cfm

University of Texas Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/index.html

✓University of Virginia State Level GIS Data and Links

http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/scripts/pagewriter.php?ors[]=5&title=State%20Level%20GIS%20Data%20and
%20Links&intro=/www/doc/collections/gis/byGeo/describestate.html

✓USGS Central Region Library - Denver, Colorado

http://library.usgs.gov/denlib.html#Begin

Denver Federal Center Building 20, Room C-2002,

8:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. Mountain Time Monday through Friday

This branch of the USGS Library collection covers all earth science topics, domestic and foreign; mineralogy; petrology;
geochemistry; oil, gas and coal; Bureau of Mines publications, including open files. Special collections include Geologic
Division field records materials; photographs taken during field work or published in USGS publications. These special
collection items are not loaned.

Western Association of Map Libraries

http://www.waml.org/index.html

The Western Association of Map Libraries is an independent association of map librarians and other people with an interest
in maps and map librarianship.

Map Librarians' Toolbox Western Association of Map Libraries

http://www.waml.org/maptools.html

This page has been compiled to organize resources related to Map Librarianship into one resource. The Alphabetic
Keyword Index is organized alphabetically by keyword and links directly to the section on that topic.

WorldCat
http://www.worldcat.org/

WorldCat is the world's largest network of library content and services. WorldCat libraries are dedicated to providing access
to their resources on the Web, where most people start their search for information. Access at most large public and
academic libraries.

Lin Smith 26
 MAP RESEARCH
Topographic Map
USGS Topographic Maps
http://topomaps.usgs.gov/
Information on a Topo Map
INTERPRETING
A topographic map shows more than contours. The map
includes symbols that represent such features as streets,
buildings, streams, and vegetation. These symbols are
constantly refined to better relate to the features they
represent, improve the appearance or readability of the map,
or reduce production cost.
Consequently, within the same series, maps may have
slightly different symbols for the same feature. Examples of
symbols that have changed include built-up areas, roads,
intermittent drainage, and some lettering styles. On one type
of large-scale topographic map, called provisional, some
symbols and lettering are hand-drawn. USGS
A topographic map identifies numerous cultural and natural
ground features which can be grouped into the following
categories:
•CULTURE: roads, buildings, urban development,
boundaries, railways, power transmission lines;
•WATER: lakes, rivers, streams, swamps, rapids;
•RELIEF: mountains, valleys, slopes, depressions;
•VEGETATION: wooded and cleared areas,
vineyards and orchards;
•TOPONYMY: place names, water feature names,
highway names.
Refer to the legend on the back of an NTS map for a
complete listing of all features and their corresponding
symbols. Information along the map borders and on the back
of the map provides valuable details to help you understand
and use a topographic map. For example, here you will find
the map scale and scale conversion, the legend, and the year
the information on the map was last updated.
Global Positioning System Overview
http://www.colorado.edu/geography/gcraft/notes/gps/
gps_f.html
✓Understanding Topographic Maps
http://imnh.isu.edu/DIGITALATLAS/geog/basics/
topo.htm
✔Reading Topographic Maps
http://www.map-reading.com/intro.php
Lin Smith
Grid
A grid is a pattern of parallel lines intersecting at right angles
and forming squares or rectangles; it is used to identify
precise positions. To help you locate your position accurately
on the surface of the earth (or map sheet), topographic maps
have two kinds of referencing systems:
• Geographic: degrees, minutes and seconds (latitude/
longitude)
• Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
GPS & Topographic Map
Location can be obtained very quickly with a Global
Positioning System (GPS) receiver. This satellite receiving
system displays a position in terms of latitude, longitude, and
height, providing you with exact coordinates for map
reference. (Some receivers also provide a direct conversion
of position to a selected map grid such as UTM.)
✓GPS Tutorial Program Trimble
http://www.trimble.com/gps/index.shtml
Determining Where You Are on a
Map
Identify as many features around you as you can, whether
cultural or natural, and locate those same features on your
map. Then orient the map so that it corresponds to the
ground features that you have identified. If you have a GPS
position, you can use the geographic or UTM grid reference
system on the map to determine where you are.
Satellite Image Maps
Satellite image maps are multicolor or black-and-white
photograph-like maps made from data collected by Earth
resources satellites. They are a diverse group of experimental
maps printed in a variety of scales and sizes, ranging from
1:24,000 for Point Loma, California, to 1:7,500,000 for the
conterminous 48 States.
27
 MAP RESEARCH
Hachure Relief
relief representation
An older way of representing relief on maps is hachures. How are Land Forms Represented on Flat
Hachures show the orientation of a slope. The lines thickness
Maps?
and density provide a picture of how steep a slope is. They
were often shown in black, brown or grey, and can show http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/
INTERPRETING

specific terrain shapes. content/investigations/es0307/es0307page01.cfm

They are drawn in the direction of the steepest slope. The A great interactive site which shows you not only how the
steeper the slope the shorter and closer the strokes are. A topography would be drawn but also a representative model.
gentler slope is represented by thinner, longer and farther
apart strokes. Features like the top of a hill are usually left
blank. They will be arranged in rows perpendicular to their
direction.

Contour Lines
Contours are imaginary lines that join points of equal
elevation on the surface of the land above or below a
reference surface such as mean sea level. Contours make it
possible to measure the height of land features, the depth of
an ocean or the steepness of a slope. When the contour lines
are close together they represent a steep slope. When they
are spread out the terrain will be flatter. They are usually Contour Lines and Topographic Features USGS
printed in brown in two thicknesses.
The map legend will indicate the contour interval—the
distance in feet (meters, etc.) between each contour line.
There will be heavier contour lines every 4th or 5th contour
line that are labeled with the height above sea level.

Contour Characteristics ✦Overhanging Cliff-crossing or touching

✦Depressions - are indicated by circular contour
with lines radiating to the center.
✦Flat Hilltop-widely spaced contours at the top of
a hill.
✦Gentle slopes - contours are less closely spaced.
✦Hill-concentric circles of contour lines.
✦Pointed Hilltop-close together contours at the
top of a hill .
contours indicate overhanging cliff.
✦Ridges - contours form a V-shape pointing down
the hill.
✦Steep slopes ,wall, or cliff- contours are
closely spaced.
✦Summits - contours forming circles.
✦Uniform Slope-evenly spaced contours.
✦Valleys - contours form a V-shape pointing up
the hill - these V's are always an indication of
a drainage path which could also be a stream
or river.

Lin Smith 28
 MAP RESEARCH
Reading Topographic Maps
USGS http://nationalmap.gov/ustopo/faq.html
Interpreting the colored lines, areas, and other symbols is the
first step in using topographic maps. Features are shown as
points, lines, or areas, depending on their size and extent. For
INTERPRETING
example, individual houses may be shown as small black
squares. For larger buildings, the actual shapes are mapped.
In densely built-up areas, most individual buildings are
omitted and an area tint is shown. On some maps, post
offices, churches, city halls, and other landmark buildings are
shown within the tinted area.
The first features usually noticed on a topographic map are
the area features, such as vegetation (green), water (blue),
and densely built-up areas (gray or red).
Many features are shown by lines that may be straight,
curved, solid, dashed, dotted, or in any combination. The
colors of the lines usually indicate similar classes of
information: topographic contours (brown); lakes, streams,
irrigation ditches, and other hydrographic features (blue);
land grids and important roads (red); and other roads and
trails, railroads, boundaries, and other cultural features
(black). At one time, purple was used as a revision color to
show all feature changes. Currently, purple is not used in our
revision program, but purple features are still present on
many existing maps.
Various point symbols are used to depict features such as
buildings, campgrounds, springs, water tanks, mines, survey
control points, and wells. Names of places and features are
shown in a color corresponding to the type of feature. Many
features are identified by labels, such as "Substation" or
"Golf Course."
Topographic contours are shown in brown by lines of
different widths. Each contour is a line of equal elevation;
therefore, contours never cross. They show the general shape
of the terrain. To help the user determine elevations, index
contours are wider. Elevation values are printed in several
places along these lines. The narrower intermediate and
supplementary contours found between the index contours
help to show more details of the land surface shape. Contours
that are very close together represent steep slopes. Widely
spaced contours or an absence of contours means that the
ground slope is relatively level. The elevation difference
between adjacent contour lines, called the contour interval, is
selected to best show the general shape of the terrain. A map
of a relatively flat area may have a contour interval of 10 feet
or less. Maps in mountainous areas may have contour
intervals of 100 feet or more. The contour interval is printed
in the margin of each U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) map.
Bathymetric contours are shown in blue or black, depending
Lin Smith
on their location. They show the shape and slope of the ocean
bottom surface. The bathymetric contour interval may vary
on each map and is explained in the map margin.
(Robert Wellman Campbell, ed. 1999. "Help: Map legends."
Earthshots: Satellite Images of Environmental Change. U.S.
Geological Survey. http://earthshots.usgs.gov. This article was first
released 14 February 1999, and last revised 14 February 1999.)
Geological Maps
Geologic maps use a combination of lines, symbols, and
colors to show the composition and structure of earth
materials and their distribution across and beneath the Earth's
surface. They generally show bedrock formations like granite
or limestone, surficial units such as sediment deposited by
glaciers or rivers, and structures like folds and faults.
Geologic maps can be used to identify geologic hazards,
locate natural resources, and facilitate land-use planning.
Geologic Quadrangle Maps
The Geologic Quadrangle (GQ) Series has more than 1,700
multicolor maps that show the bedrock, surficial, or
engineering geology of selected 7.5- or 15-minute
quadrangles in the United States. The series, begun in 1949,
is a continuation of the earlier Folios of the Geologic Atlas of
the United States (1894 to 1945).
Miscellaneous Field Studies Series Maps
The Miscellaneous Field Studies (MF) Series contains more
than 2,200 mostly black-and-white maps that cover nearly all
aspects of USGS investigations and research. The series,
begun in 1950, had been known earlier as the Mineral
Investigations Field Studies Series. Pre-1971 maps show
geology in relation to specific mining or mineral-deposit
studies; later maps are on various subjects such as bedrock
and surficial geology, offshore geology, mineral resource
assessments, geophysical and geochemical surveys, and
environmental studies.
Shaded Relief Maps
The USGS publishes shaded-relief editions of certain
topographic maps to accentuate physiographic features of
special interest and for some State, Antarctic, and national
park maps. These maps use shaded relief, as well as contour
lines, to represent the shape of the terrain.
The pictorial effect of such maps is emphasized by relief
shading--a halftone overprint that simulates the appearance
of sunlight and shadows on the terrain and creates the
illusion of three-dimensional topography. USGS
29
 MAP RESEARCH
Map Legends
letter symbols and lines
In addition to color, each geologic unit is assigned a Faults
set of letters to symbolize it on the map. Usually the
However, in geologically active areas like the San
symbol is the combination of an initial capital letter
Francisco Bay area, geologic units tend to be broken
followed by one or more small letters. The capital
up and moved along faults (it is fault movements that
INTERPRETING

letter represents the age of the geologic unit.

cause earthquakes)!. When different geologic units
Geologists have divided the history of the Earth into
have been moved next to one another after they were
Epochs, mostly based on the fossils found in rocks.
formed, the contact is a fault contact, which is shown
The most common division of time used in letter
on the map by a thick line. Faults can cut through a
symbols on geologic maps is the Period. Rocks of the
single geologic unit. These faults are shown with the
four most recent Periods are found in the San
same thick line on the map, but have the same
Francisco Bay, so most letter symbols begin with a
geologic unit on both sides.
capital letter representing one of the four Periods: J
(Jurassic - 195 to 141 million years ago), K
Remember, just because the map shows a fault
(Cretaceous - 141 to 65 million years ago), T (Tertiary
doesn’t mean that fault is still active and is likely to
- 65 to 2 million years ago), or Q (Quaternary - 2
cause an earthquake. Rocks can preserve records of
million years ago until today).
faults that have been inactive for many millions of
years. Knowing where the faults are is the first step
toward finding the ones that can move. Special
Occasionally the age of a rock unit will span more
geologic maps of the faults known to be still moving
than one period, if the period of many years required
are constantly being upgraded at the United States
to create a body of rock happens to fall on both sides
Geological Survey, as well as by State geological
of a time boundary. In that case both capital letters are
surveys and university researchers.
used. For example, QT would indicate that the rock
unit began to form in Tertiary time and was completed
in Quaternary time. The few geologic units formed an Other Lines
unknown amount of time ago have letter symbols Folds
with no capital letters. Another kind of line shown on most geologic maps is
a fold axis. In addition to being moved by faults,
geologic units can also be bent and warped by the
The small letters indicate either the name of the unit,
same forces into rounded wavelike shapes called
if it has one, or the type of rock, if the unit has no
folds. A line that follows the crest or trough of the
name.
fold is called the fold axis. This is marked on a
geologic map with a line a little thicker than a
depositional contact, but thinner than a fault.

Lines on the map Solid, dashed, or dotted lines

Contact Lines
All thicknesses of lines are also modified by being
The place where two different geologic units are
solid, dashed, or dotted. Often contacts are obscured
found next to each other is called a contact, and that is
by soil, vegetation, or human construction. Those
represented by different kinds of lines on the geologic
places where the line is precisely located it is shown
map. The two main types of contacts shown on most
as solid, but where it is uncertain it is dashed. The
geologic maps are depositional contacts and faults.
shorter the dash, the more uncertain the location. A
dotted line is the most uncertain of all, because it is
All geologic units are formed over, under, or beside
covered by a geologic unit, so no amount of searching
other geologic units. For example, lava from a
at the surface could ever locate it. The lines on the
volcano flows over the landscape, and when the lava
map may also be modified by other symbols on the
hardens into rock, the place where the lava-rock rests
line (triangles, small tic marks, arrows, and more)
on the rocks underneath is a depositional contact.
which give more information about the line. For
Where the original depositional contact between
example, faults with triangles on them show that the
geologic units is preserved, it is shown on the
side with the triangles has been thrust up and over the
geologic map as a thin line.
side without the triangles (that kind of fault is called a
reverse fault or a thrust fault). All the different

Lin Smith 30
 Symbols for Historic
MAP RESEARCH
Topographic Maps La Plata folio 60
CO 1899
http://www.novacell.com/ Geological
topographicmapsymbols.php

Presented on this page is a collection of

symbols used on USGS Topographic
Maps printed from the late 1890s (aka
INTERPRETING

old topo maps or superseded topo

maps). The styles of the symbols have
changed dramatically since this time,
and the beginning of their history is
illustrated here. We refer to sheets in
this style as Generation One or First
Generation topographic sheets. These
sheets were printed in black, brown, and
blue inks and used lines to fill areas
such as rivers, lakes and coastal areas.

In the early 1910s, sheets began to

appear overprinted with green inks
depicting vegetative cover. The timber
symbol used a screen of ink to represent
the area, while brush is hatched. At least
some of these sheets were printed with
and without the green inks. What is a Geologic Map?

In the early 1920s, sheets began to
appear overprinted with red inks
depicting simple road classification.
Marginal notations, also in red, were
added to show distance and direction
along a road to the next town or city.
Geologic maps are not like other maps.
Geologic maps, like all maps, are
designed to show where things are. A
geologic map shows the distribution of
geologic features, including different
kinds of rocks and faults. A geologic
map is usually printed on top of a
regular map (called a base map) to help
you locate
yourself on the map. The base map is
printed with light colors, so it doesn’t
interfere with seeing the geologic
features on the map. The geology is
represented by colors, lines, and special
symbols unique to geologic maps.
Understanding these features will allow
you to understand much of the geology
shown in almost any standard geologic
map.

Bench Marks
Bench marks indicate places where the
elevation has actually been surveyed. 
These locations are indicated on the map
by a triangle if a marker has been placed
in the ground, or an "x" if no marker was
left behind.  Near either symbol are the
letters "BM" and a number which
represents the elevation of that particular
location.  Bench marks are shown in
black on topographic maps.
La Plata folio 60 CO 1899
The value of topographic maps for
Bench Marks
practical purposes was greatly increased
Mines and Quarries by the placement of permanent bench
marks showing the exact location and
elevation of fixed points.
Boundaries
Even though these are not physical
features you can see on the ground,
boundaries are shown on topographic
maps by black or red lines. Boundaries
are usually represented by broken lines
(combinations of dots and dashes of
different sizes).  Different patterns are
used for different types of boundaries
(i.e., state, county, city, etc). 

Lin Smith 31
 MAP RESEARCH
Map Key USGS
All geologic maps come with a table called a map key. In
the map key, all the colors and symbols are shown and
explained. The map key usually starts with a list showing
the color and letter symbol of every geologic unit,
starting with the youngest or most recently formed units
INTERPRETING
(in the example map those are the man-made deposits),
along with the name of the unit (if it has one) and a short
description of the kinds of rocks in that unit and their age
(in the key, the age is described by Epochs, subdivisions
of the Periods shown in the letter symbol). After the list
Quray Needle Mountains 1905
Lin Smith
of geologic units, all the different types of lines on the
map are explained, and then all the different strike and
dip symbols. The map key will also include explanations
of any other kinds of geologic symbols used on a map
(locations where fossils were found, locations of deposits
of precious metals, location of faults known to be active,
and any other geologic feature that might be important in
the area shown by the geologic map). Because the
geology in every area is different, the map key is vital to
understanding the geologic map.
32
 MAP RESEARCH
Map Legends
symbols, date, color, counties, USGS
Map symbols used in the United States are often used
for different things in other countries. The symbol for a
secondary highway on a USGS Topographic map is
equivalent to a railroad in Switzerland. Make sure to read
INTERPRETING
the legend and you'll understand the symbols. In essence
it is a dictionary.
By using symbols, lines and colors, topographic maps
illustrate both natural and human-made features. In order
to read a map, it is important to understand what these
symbols, lines and colors represent.
A topographic map shows more than contours. The map
includes symbols that represent such features as streets,
buildings, streams, and vegetation. These symbols are
constantly refined to better relate to the features they
represent, improve the appearance or readability of the map,
or reduce production cost.
Consequently, within the same series, maps may have slightly
different symbols for the same feature. Examples of symbols
that have changed include built-up areas, roads, intermittent
drainage, and some lettering styles. On one type of large-
scale topographic map, called provisional, some symbols and
lettering are hand-drawn. USGS
USGS Mineral Map Symbols and Legend
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/country/maps/
mapkey.html
Symbols and Patterns for NPS Maps
http://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/map-symbols.htm#
Ordnance Survey Glossary
http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/aboutus/
reports/misc/glossary.html
FGDC Digital Cartographic Standard for
Geologic Map Symbolization
http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/fgdc_gds/geolsymstd/
download.php
PDF documents which show an extensive list of Geologic
map symbols, colors, and patterns
Old Map Symbols UK
http://www.old-maps.co.uk/HTMLPAGES/legend.htm.
USGS Topographic Map Symbols
http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/symbols/
Lin Smith
Date
The date on a map relates to when it was published and not
the date the survey was made. If a number of maps make-up
a map the date corresponds to the earliest map that is shown.
Boundaries were occasionally altered after field revision but
before publication on 1:10 560 maps prepared between circa
1896 and 1913.
Before 1866, railways were sometimes added without
acknowledgement to published 1:10 560 sheets.
Color
• Black - man-made features such as roads,
buildings, etc.
• Blue - water, lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
• Brown - contour lines
• Green - areas with substantial vegetation
(could be forest, scrub, etc.)
• White - areas with little or no vegetation;
white is also used to depict permanent
snowfields and glaciers
• Red - major highways; boundaries of public
land areas
• Purple - features added to the map since the
original survey. These features are based
on aerial photographs but have not been
checked on land.
Counties
Over the years, several county boundaries have changed.
Indeed, new counties have also been created and some old
counties ceased to exist. In any searches you perform based
on place name, modern day address or co-ordinate you need
to be aware of the county that the area was in at the time the
mapping was created.
When the mapping was created, each county was surveyed
with a slight overlap into the next county. If you perform a
search on a place which appears close to a county boundary,
it may be covered by mapping from more than one county.
This is why your search results page may present the same
place in two or more counties on the map represents 50 000
equivalent units of measure on the ground. Medium-scale
maps (e.g. 1/50 000) cover smaller areas in greater detail,
whereas smaller-scale maps (e.g. 1/250 000) cover large
areas in less detail.
33
 MAP RESEARCH
Latitude and Longitude
utm, north arrow, declination
Latitude and Longitude • Abbreviated northing values, for example 4164,
edges of map are located on the right and left edges of the
map.
INTERPRETING

• Reference coordinates for UTM are located

Latitude and longitude lines are indicated with fine
black tick marks along the edges of the map.
Topographic maps do not show the latitude/
longitude lines – just the tick marks.
• The numbers next to the tick marks indicate
degrees (°), minutes (') and seconds (").
• On 1:24,000 scale maps, latitude and longitude
tick marks are indicated every 2.5 minutes.
• Longitude tick marks are on the top and bottom
edges of the map and latitude tick marks are on
the right and left edges. Note that the degrees
may be left off (as an abbreviation) and you
may only see the minute and/or second
designations.
• Reference coordinates for latitude and
longitude (degrees, minutes, and seconds) are
black and located on the four corners of the
map.
• The intersection of latitude and longitude lines
are noted by cross-marks (+).
• When reading latitude/longitude, pay close
attention to the units (degrees, minutes,
seconds) because it is easy to misread them.
near the southeast and northwest corners of the
map.
• Notice that the large bold numbers increase as
you go north and east.
North Arrow, Declination, and Map
Production Information
(bottom left corner of map)
It is common practice for maps to be oriented with
true north at the top. Most USGS maps have a
symbol of arrows pointing to the geographic North
Pole (shown by a star), magnetic north (MN) and
grid north (GN). Grid north shows the difference
between geographic north (latitude/longitude) and
the UTM grid.
If the declination is not indicated on the arrow
diagram, it can be found in the “Map Production
Information” which is in the lower left corner of
the map. The map production information section
provides additional information on how and when
the map was created. Sometimes the magnetic
declination is printed here.

Historic Values of Compass Declination

http://www.directlinesoftware.com/decl.htm
Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
(edges of map)

Prior to 1978, USGS topographic maps used blue

tick marks along the edge of the map to illustrate
where the UTM grid lines were located. Since
1978, USGS topographic maps actually show
UTM grid lines (black) on the map and the
coordinate values are in the margin. On USGS
topographic maps, 7.5 quadrangle, the UTM grid
lines are marked at 1,000 meter increments

• Abbreviated easting values, for example 336,

are located on the top and bottom edges of the
map.

Lin Smith 34
CLAIMS MAP RESEARCH
Latitude and Longitude

Surveying Units and Terms

http://www.directlinesoftware.com/survey.htm

List of units of measure, surveying terms, surveyor’s slang and abbreviations, water descriptions, and trees. This is
about as extensive as it gets.

COMMON MAPPING SCALES USGS

The larger the scale, the smaller the area that is
covered, usually in greater detail.

Lin Smith 35
 SCALE
MAP RESEARCH
USGS Map Scales http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs01502.html
Today’s commonly used 1:24,000 map scale was only
produced after 1940, so for earlier maps, you will have to
adjust for scale. However, the symbols on these maps are
INTERPRETING
fairly consistent, allowing for easy comparison of how
communities and rural areas changed.
Scale refers to the relationship between distance on a map
and the corresponding distance on the ground. At a scale of
1/50,000 for example, one unit of measure on the map
represents 50,000 equivalent units of measure on the ground.
Medium-scale maps (e.g. 1/50,000) cover smaller areas in
greater detail, whereas smaller-scale maps (e.g. 1/250,000)
cover large areas in less detail.
The proportion chosen for a particular map is its scale.
Selecting the appropriate scale depends on the size of the
sheet of paper and the accurate placement of features.
Ground area, rivers, lakes, roads, distances between features,
and so on must be shown proportionately smaller than they
really are.
Large Is Small
Simply defined, scale is the relationship between distance on
the map and distance on the ground. A map scale usually is
given as a fraction or a ratio—1/10,000 or 1:10,000.
These "representative fraction" scales mean that 1 unit of
measurement on the map—1 inch or 1 centimeter—
represents 10,000 of the same units on the ground. If the
scale were 1:63,360, for instance, then 1 inch on the map
would represent 63,360 inches, or 1 mile, on the ground
(63,360 inches divided by 12 inches equals 5,280 feet, or 1
mile). The first number (map distance) is always 1. The
second number (ground distance) is different for each scale;
the larger the second number is, the smaller the scale of the
map. "The larger the number, the smaller the scale" sounds
confusing, but it is easy to understand. A map of an area 100
miles long by 100 miles wide drawn at a scale of 1:63,360
would be more than 8 feet square. To make the map a more
convenient size, either the scale used or the area covered
must be reduced.
If the scale is reduced to 1:316,800, then 1 inch on the map
represents 5 miles on the ground, and an area 100 miles
square can be mapped on a sheet less than 2 feet square (100
miles at 5 miles to the inch equals 20 inches, or 1.66 feet).
On the other hand, if the original 1:63,360 scale is used but
Lin Smith
the mapped area is reduced to 20 miles square, the resulting
map will also be less than 2 feet square.
Such maps would be easier to handle. But would they be
more useful? In the small-scale map (1:316,800), there is less
room; therefore, everything must be drawn smaller, and some
small streams, roads, and landmarks must be left out
altogether. On the other hand, the larger scale map (1:63,360)
permits more detail but covers much less ground.
Many areas have been mapped at different scales. The most
important consideration in choosing a map is its intended
use. A town engineer, for instance, may need a very detailed
map to locate precise sewers, power and water lines, and
streets. A commonly used scale for this purpose is 1:600 (1
inch on the map represents 50 feet on the ground). This scale
is so large that many features—such as buildings, roads, and
railroad tracks—can be drawn to scale instead of being
represented by symbols.
U.S. Geological Survey Scales
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) publishes maps at
various scales. The scale used for most U.S. topographic
mapping is 1:24,000. USGS maps at this scale cover an area
measuring 7.5 minutes of latitude and 7.5 minutes of
longitude and are commonly called 7.5-minute quadrangle
maps. Map coverage for most of the United States has been
completed at this scale, except for Puerto Rico, which is
mapped at 1:20,000 and 1:30,000, and for a few States that
have been mapped at 1:25,000. Most of Alaska has been
mapped at 1:63,360, with some populated areas also mapped
at 1:24,000 and 1:25,000.
Maps at 1:24,000 scale are fairly large and provide detailed
information about the features of an area, including the
locations of important buildings and most campgrounds, ski
lifts, and water mills. Footbridges, drawbridges, fence lines,
and private roads are also shown at this scale. Usually these
features are omitted from maps in the 1:50,000-to 1:100,000-
scale range; these maps cover more area while retaining a
reasonable level of detail. Maps at these scales are most often
produced using the 30-by 60-minute quadrangle formats.
Small-scale maps (1:250,000 and smaller) show large areas
on single map sheets, but details are limited to major
features, such as boundaries, parks, airports, major roads,
railroads, and streams. USGS
36
 ✓BLM Land Glossary
MAP RESEARCH

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/Visitors/Glossary.asp

This will give you a detailed explanation of the terms you might run across when you are searching records.

BLM Glossaries of Surveying and Mapping Terms

http://www.blm.gov/cadastral/Glossary/glossary.htm#

Dating Rand and Gousha Maps

INTERPRETING

http://www.roadmaps.org/date.htm

In cases when the year of publication was not shown on the cover or in the legend, map companies put date codes at the
bottom of the main map. Rand McNally first used date codes in 1919, and Gousha started in 1927.

DICTIONARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS IN GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS,

CARTOGRAPHY, AND REMOTE SENSING
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/EART/abbrev.html

This dictionary decodes abbreviations and acronyms found in various publications including maps and websites. These
abbreviations or acronyms, therefore, are not necessarily authoritative or standardized in format or content.

GIS Dictionary
http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/agidict/welcome.html

✓GIS Dictionary ESRI Support Center

http://support.esri.com/index.cfm?fa=knowledgebase.gisDictionary.gateway

GIS Interpretations Metadata Primer for Map Librarians

http://www.stonybrook.edu/libmap/metadata.htm

The classic definition of metadata is "data about data."

✓GPS Resource Library

http://www.gpsy.com/gpsinfo/

This is a page of links containing information about the Global Positioning System (GPS) and handheld GPS units

Historic Values of Compass Declination

http://www.directlinesoftware.com/decl.htm

Interpreting Rand McNally Map Codes

http://www.roadmaps.org/date-rm.htm

✓Introduction To Topographic Maps Geospatial Training and Analysis Cooperative

http://geology.isu.edu/geostac/Field_Exercise/topomaps/index.htm

MAP-LIST HELP: Using and Interpreting USGS Online Map Lists

http://egsc.usgs.gov/maplists/howtoselectmaps.html

Slaymakerʼs Links to Topographic maps

http://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/slaymaker/Archives/Geol10L/topomap.htm

Lin Smith 37
 MAP RESEARCH
Slaymakerʼs Links To Examples of Landforms
Depicted on Topographic Maps
www.csus.edu/indiv/s/slaymaker/Archives/Geol10L/
landforms.htm
✔Surveying Units and Terms
http://www.directlinesoftware.com/survey.htm
INTERPRETING
List of units of measure, surveying terms, surveyors' slang
and abbreviations, water descriptions, and trees. This is
about as extensive as it gets.
✔Topographic Symbols A Guide To Camping
& Wilderness Survival Wilderness Manuals
http://www.wildernessmanuals.com/manual_5/index.html
Great hands on information on reading and interpreting
maps and their symbols.
USGS Downloading and Formatting Earth
Images
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/terraserver.html
✓USGS Downloading and Formatting Earth
Images (Landsat satellite images) from NASA for
GIS Use
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/nasa_zulu.html
This is a tutorial that will aid you in downloading Landsat satellite
images into a GIS
USGS Education Map Catalog
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/mapcatalog/
Lin Smith
USGS GIS in Education
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/giseduc.html
Education and Communications Program is to educate data
users in the use and application of USGS products and
services.
USGS GIS Guidelines
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/
gisguidelines.html
Guidelines for using spatial data within geographic information
systems (GIS) software, with emphasis on ArcView and ArcGIS
software from ESRI.
USGS Help With The National Map Viewer
http://nationalmap.gov/nmjump.html
USGS National Map Accuracy Standards
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/nmpstds/nmas.html
✓USGS Teaching with Topographic Maps
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/topoteach.html
USGS Topographic Maps Illustrating
Physiographic Features
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/outreach/
featureindex.html
Use this index to select the names and locations of topographic
maps that illustrate the particular physical feature of interest, such
as those resulting from glaciation, karst, tectonics, or volcanism.
USGS TYPES OF MAPS AVAILABLE
http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/usgsmaps/
usgsmaps.html#Shaded-relief%20maps
38
 MAP RESEARCH
Books
Here are just a few resources. You can search
books.google.com/ books for numerous titles.
Carrington, David K., and Stephenson, Richard W.
Map Collections in the United States and Canada: A
BOOKS
Directory. Special Libraries Association, 1985.
Clausen, M., and Friis, H.R. Descriptive Catalog of Maps
Published by Congress, 1817-1843. University of
California, 1941.
Cobb, David. Guide to U.S. Map Resources
Finch, James Kip. Topographic Maps and Sketch
Mapping. New York, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., London:
Chapman & Hall, Limited, 1920.
Francaviglia, Richard V. Reading the Landscape of
Americaʼs Historic Mining Districts. Iowa City, University
of Iowa Press, 1991.
Harvey, P.DA. The History of Topographical Maps,
Symbols, Pictures and Surveys. London: Thames and
Hudson, 1980.
Karlow Jr., W. Checklist of Printed Maps of the Middle
West to 1900, 1981.
Kelsey, Laura E..List of Cartographic Records of the
General Land Office. United States National Archives
and Records Service, 1964.
Kohl, J.G. A Descriptive Catalogue of those Maps,
Charts and Surveys Relating to America. Washington,
Henry Polkinhorn, Printer, 1857.
McIntosh, Gregory. A Directory of Publishers &
Distributors of Antique Map, Atlas & Globe Facsimiles &
Reproductions.
Lin Smith
Moffat, Riley Moore. Maps Index to Topographic
Quadrangles of the United States, 1882-1940. Western
Association of Map Libraries, 1985.
Markham, R. P. National Lands Index: An Index to
Nationally Designated Lands on National Topographic
Maps. Greeley University of Northern Colorado Press,
1980.
Phillips, P. Lee. List of Maps of American in the Library
of Congress. New York, Burt Franklin, 1901.
Ristow, Walter William. American Maps and Mapmakers,
University of California, Wayne State University Press,
1985.
Schmeckebiew, Lawrence H. Catalogue and Index of
the Hayden, King, Powell, and Wheeler Surveys.
Washington, Gov. Printing Office,1904.
Stark ,Peter. A Cartobibliography of Separately
Published U.S. Geological Survey Special Maps and
River Surveys. Western Association of Map Libraries,
1994.
The Index to Maps in Books and Periodicals. American
geographical Society of New York Map Department
1968,1974,1978.
Thiry, Christopher. Guide to U.S. Map Resources.
MAGERT of the American Library Assoc. Chicago,2005.
The Online Books Page
http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/
The Online Books Page is a website that facilitates access to
books that are freely readable over the Internet.
39
BLM LR2000 GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH BLM LR2000 Land & Mineral Legacy Rehost 2000 System
http://www.blm.gov/lr2000/

The Bureau of Land Management's Legacy Rehost System (LR2000) provides a searchable database for public reports on
BLM land and mineral use authorizations, conveyances, mining claims, withdrawals and classifications. This website enables
users to access the same information over the Internet as in the BLM State Office Information Access Centers.

Case Recordation (CR) contains information on leases, permits, contracts, grants, agreements, mineral patents, etc., issued
by the BLM on federal actions affecting public lands of the United States. Authorizations are issued for the following
activities: oil and gas, geothermal, oil shale, coal and other minerals, sand, gravel, rights-of-ways (communication sites,
power facilities, roads, railroads, telephone lines, pipelines, wind power, solar power, and more), land exchanges and
acquisitions, land use withdrawals, mineral patents, land classifications, land claims, land sales, land grants, etc. Information
on the use authorization includes customer data, location, date of issuance, the actions that have taken place, and other
applicable information.
Legal Land Description (LLD) contains cadastral survey data including meridian, township, range, section, survey type
(aliquot part, lots, homestead surveys, mineral surveys, tracts, parcels, etc.), acreage, and geopolitical information including
the geographic state, county, field office, and surface management agency (BLM, Forest Service, etc.). The surface
management agency in LLD is coded as BLM, even when the land is privately owned, unless the land is located within a
National Park, National Forest, etc.
Mining Claim Recordation (MC) contains information on unpatented mining claims located on federal lands including
claimant name, approximate location, and other applicable information. Mineral patents are not contained in Mining Claim
Recordation.
Status (ST) contains information on title transfer documents, such as land patents, land grants, and warranty deeds, to and
from the United States Government. Status also contains land withdrawal and classification information which is used to
determine surface and subsurface segregation's on a parcel of land.

When you search a report you will find definitions or numbers which are a code for a particular item. You
need to print out the code reports to have when you are doing your research. There are more codes than
what I have listed. The listed codes are for mining.

Codes for all reports

http://www.blm.gov/lr2000/c_g.htm
All the reports require you to select a code rather than the name (no names are displayed in the reports) as your selection
criteria. Scroll to the bottom of this page to find additional Mining Guides, which will come up as {DF’s.

Alice Mine and Mill, Alice,

Mining Claims Action Codes looking southwest, Central City
http://www.blm.gov/lr2000/codes/CodeMCaction.htm Quadrangle. Gilpin County,
Colorado. 1911. USGS
ID. Bastin, E.S. 217 bes00217
Mining Claim Case Type Codes
http://www.
blm.gov/lr2000/codes/CodeMCcasetypes.htm

Mining Claim Disposition Codes

http://www.blm.gov/lr2000/codes/CodeMCcasedisp.htm

BLM Forms Page

http://www.blm.gov/blmforms/

Lin Smith 40
BLM LR2000 GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH BLM LR2000 Land & Mineral Legacy Rehost 2000 System HELPFUL HINTS & TRICKS
LR2000 uses pop-ups. You must allow pop-ups from this site (www.blm.gov), temporarily allow
pop-ups, or disable your pop-up blocker. Use Internet Explorer, not Netscape.

Selection Criteria
Select all the optional criteria you might need. You won’t have to start all over if you forget to pick one.

When you ‘Set’ your criteria, you don’t have to ‘Close’ each option. Just click ‘Set’ on the next selection you
want and it will automatically close the one before.

All entry is done with upper case alphabetic characters.

Verify the ‘Operator’ is what you want (e.g., Equal, Begins With, Between, etc.). ‘Begins With’ works well with
customer names, especially if you don’t know how it is exactly entered.

For Case type - Select “Begins With” from the scroll bar. In the “Enter Case type Code” field type in one of the
following codes. For this example, use 31 for O&G leases and agreements. Other case groups are:
28 – Rights-of-Way (communication, roads, etc)
29 – Use Leases and Permits – non-mineral (airports, storage, etc)
31 – Oil and Gas Leases and Agreements
32 – Geothermal Leases and Agreements
34 – Coal leases and Agreements
35 – Other solid mineral leases (phosphate, sulfur, potassium, gilsonite)
36 – Mineral Material (sand & gravel, community pits)
38 – Mining Claims

Enter dates as MM/DD/YYYY (2 digits for month, 2 digits for day, 4 digits for year).

Selecting the operator ‘Between’ 1/1/2000 and 12/31/2000 will select all dates between and including the
beginning and ending date (e.g., all dates for year 2000).

To highlight more than one selection on pick list: hold down the Ctrl key while you click on selections to
highlight multiple noncontiguous selections; to highlight a continuous range, click the first selection then hold
down the Shift key and click the last selection you want.

To type in multiple selections, separate each entry with a comma. Use the green check mark to enter.

To enter multiple lines of similar information (e.g., multiple sections for the same township and range):
o Type the first entry and click green check mark.
o Now double-click on that line you just entered in the value box to copy it back into the Edit field.
o Next, click on the blank row (the first line) in the value box to remove the highlight from the original line
of data (or else it will overwrite that entry).
o Change the entry as needed (e.g., section number) in the Edit field and click the green check mark again.
Now both entries are in the value box.
o Repeat as often as necessary until all the desired lines of data are in the box.
o Click ‘Select All’ to highlight all the entries before you run the report.
(This method can be used whenever multiple lines of data are added with minor changes from line to line.)
Reports
The report will appear in a new window. To view the next page of the report, click the down arrow from the
menu bar (click up arrow to go back one page). Shift click down arrow will go to last page, shift click up arrow
will go to first page.

To easily view your report, select ‘Export to PDF’ icon. Then you can scroll through your report and print it
(click the printer icon to print.)

You can save the report in PDF format and then email it as an attachment (e.g., to your client).

If there is more than one report format available (i.e., different outputs or sort orders), you may select a different
format from the pull down menu, then click ‘GO.'

If the banner page appears (which shows what you selected), you need to select the report from the pull down
menu and click ‘GO.’

Lin Smith 41
BLM LR2000 GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH BLM LR2000 Land & Mineral Legacy Rehost 2000 System Helpful Hints and Tricks

If you get a blank report, select the banner page (and click ‘GO’) to verify it states ‘Total Rows Returned = 0’ (or
blank). Either no data exists, or there’s a problem with your selection criteria (you should always verify it again).
If unsuccessful, try widening your criteria (e.g., if you selected a section, change it to the township; if you
selected only Authorized, change it to all Case Dispositions).

If you want to document the criteria you selected for the report (e.g., Geographic Report for a particular area),
print the Banner Page for future reference. This will also help when you want to run the report again.

If a report is taking a long time and you want to cancel it, hold down both the Alt key and End key at the same
time for up to two minutes.

When you are done with the report, close the PDF window and close the window with the original report format
before you run another report (or else you will have multiple windows open).

To run the same report again with different criteria, just change the limits on the criteria (click the ‘Set’ and enter
your new selection) and run the report again. If you need different items in your criteria, click on ‘Return to
Criteria Selection’ to select them. Follow the steps required to run the report.

To run a different report, click on ‘Return to Report Menu.’ Select the desired report from the Report Menu.
Then follow the steps required to run the report.

Advanced Topics
You can export the report to Excel spreadsheet format. Then you can copy information you need and incorporate
into your documents.

If you generate a report that has a list of Serial Numbers (e.g., CR Case Information Report) and you don’t want
to retype all the serial numbers to generate Serial Register Pages:
o Export the list of Serial Numbers to Excel (click the ‘Export to XLS’ button),
o Copy the column with the serial numbers
o Paste it into an ASCII text file (e.g., plain text in Word), and save it
o Return to Report Menu
o Select CR Pub Serial Register Page
o Select ‘Serial Number(s) from File’ option
o Click ‘Select Criteria’
o Click ‘Browse’
o Navigate to your file and select it click ‘Run Report,' click ‘OK
Mary McKinney and Katinka mines from
Anaconda surface stope in Gold Hill.
Cripple Creek District. Teller County,
Colorado. October 5, 1903. USGS
ID. Ransome, F.L.  517
rfl00517

Lin Smith 42
 GEIO Communicator National Integrated Land System
MAP RESEARCH
http://www.geocommunicator.gov/GeoComm/index.shtm

Want to view, search, and access your land and mineral records using an Interactive map viewer?
NILS GeoCommunicator interactive map viewer allows you to search and display most of the land and mineral,
status, and mining claims records along with a variety of reference maps including surface management agency
boundaries, T/R/Sec/Aliquot, rivers, roads, topo maps, and imagery.
GOVERNMENT

You can link from GeoCommunicator directly to LR2000 to get a serial register page or a township geographic
report. GeoCommunicator is meant to compliment LR2000 with mapping capabilities not replace it. LR2000 is
the definitive source for the records. There have been reports that the GEOCommunicator may not give as
accurate information as the LR2000 when you are searching for private land and claims. Using both could help
you avoid some serious conflicts!

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for recording mining claims on federal lands.
GeoCommunicator contains information on some of the unpatented active and closed mining claims located on
GEO COMMUNICATOR

federal lands including claimant name, approximate location, and other applicable information from the National
Integrated Land System (NILS). Data from Legacy Rehost 2000 (LR2000) Mining Claim Record System
(www.blm.gov/lr2000) is processed in NILS where the geometry for the claim is automatically created and stored
in the NILS geodatabase. Mining claims are recorded and mapped 'nominally' to the nearest quarter section. The
claim is located 'somewhere' in the quarter. The exact location is not mapped or recorded in the BLM's automated
systems. To see the actual location map visit the public room where the case file of the mining claim is recorded.
Most of the mining claims from LR2000 are in GeoCommunicator, but not all. Please read the data
disclaimer.
LR2000-Mining Claim Recordation System is a text-based case recordation system for recording information on
unpatented mining claims in the U.S. excluding Alaska. Mineral Patent information is maintain with the Case
Recordation and the Status System in LR2000 and this data is display in GeoCommunicator under the CASES
folder. Additional information about patented mining claims or any other federal land patents issued prior to 1982
may also be found on the Federal Land Records Patent Site or LR2000.

Mining Claim Density for active claims is being displayed at three levels: Township, Section, and Quarter-
section. If we don't have the land descriptions at the section or quarter section level than the density for that level
can't be displayed. The density is based on data directly from the LR2000 system. Therefore if a mining claim
can't be displayed in GeoCommunicator it still will be counted in the density numbers. The density is a good
representation of the where mining claims are located. The label will indicate the number of claims in the density
area. Remember that a mining claim can occur in more than one quarter, so a claim can be counted more than
once. For example, if a claim is located in 2 quarters it will be counted in both quarters, but it will be counted
only once at the section and township level.

From GeoCommunicator, you can run a township geographic report that will allow you to get a report of all the
mining claims in the township. You can compare this to the display in GeoCommunicator to determine if there are
valid claims in the area.

Information on Alaska records are not available from this site. For more information, go to the Alaska State Office
website. The original documents including patents (some are available at the Federal Land Patent Records
website), deeds, leases, public land orders, and case files are not available over this website but can be viewed in
the BLM Information Access Centers.

The Federal Land Patent Records Website provides access to Federal land conveyance records for the Public Land
States. They also provide image access to more than two million Federal land title records for Eastern Public
Land States, issued between 1820 and 1908. Images of Serial patents (land titles issued between 1908 and the
mid-1960's) are currently being added to the Land Patent Website.

Lin Smith 43
 MAP RESEARCH
About Land and Mineral Use Records GEO Communicator
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for cadastral survey, land and mineral use authorization, and resource
management of the public lands. In support of the development of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure, the BLM was
given the lead by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB Circular A-16) for Public Land Conveyance, Federal Land
Ownership Status, and Cadastral Survey. To meet these goals, the BLM is providing the public with mapping capabilities to
our land and minerals use authorization and mining claim record data.
GOVERNMENT

Where does the data come from?

GeoCommunicator is the publication web site for the BLM’s National Integrated Land System (NILS). GeoCommunicator
provides the public and the BLM searching, accessing, and dynamic mapping of data for federal land stewardship, land &
mineral records and land survey information.

The data for this application comes from the BLM's National Integrated Land System (NILS), the BLM's Legacy Rehost
GEO COMMUNICATOR

2000 (LR2000) (www.blm.gov/lr2000), the Range Authorization System, the Abandoned Mines System, the Facility Asset
Management System, and from other data sources.

NILS is a joint development project between the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) conducted in partnership with states,
counties, and private industry to provide a comprehensive solution to integrate survey data with parcel-based land records in
an enterprise GIS environment. As part of the BLM’s E-Government efforts and with the development of NILS, spatially
displaying parcel data from many of the BLM’s computer applications has become a reality.

NILS consists of two environments: 1) a transactional side, in which cadastral data and land records data are captured,
analyzed, edited, and committed to permanent records, and 2) a publication side, GeoCommunicator.

The BLM's Legacy Rehost 2000 is a text-based case recordation system for processing and recording information on BLM's
land and mineral authorizations such as leases, permits, contracts, grants, agreements, land/mineral patents, and other use
authorizations issued by the BLM for the U.S. excluding Alaska. The LR2000 system also includes unpatented mining claim
records, land title records, withdrawals and classifications. Use authorizations are issued to the public for commodities and
uses such as oil and gas, coal, sand, gravel, grazing, communication sites, and roads.

The land and mineral record information from the BLM's LR2000 System is being processed in NILS where the geometry for
the land records is automatically being generated and stored with attribute data in the NILS geodatabase for spatial display
and query. The NILS data is then exported weekly into the GeoCommunicator publication geodatabase for distribution,
display, and query by the public. Not all the cases from LR2000 are available in GeoCommunicator.

Overview of LR2000 Systems

The BLM's LR2000 Case Recordation System contains current and historical information on use authorizations issued by the
BLM on federal actions affecting public lands of the United States. Information on the use authorization includes customer
data, location, date of issuance, the actions that have taken place, and other applicable information.

The LR2000 system contains the following subsystems:

Case Recordation contains current and historical information on leases, permits, contracts, grants, agreements, land/mineral
patents, etc., issued by the BLM on federal actions affecting public lands of the United States. Authorizations are issued for
the following activities: oil and gas, coal and other minerals, sand, gravel, rights-of-ways, land exchanges and acquisitions,
land use withdrawals, mineral patents, land classifications, land claims, land sales, etc. Information on the use authorization
includes customer data, location, date of issuance, the actions that have taken place, and other applicable information. Data
concerning all land and mineral use cases on GeoCommunicator except for mining claims come from the Case Recordation
system.

Lin Smith 44
 MAP RESEARCH Mining Claim Recordation contains information on unpatented mining claims located on federal lands including claimant
name, approximate location, and other applicable information. Mineral patents are not contained in Mining Claim
Recordation. Mining claims data on GeoCommunicator comes from the Mining Claim Recordation system.

Status System was a project to collection all the title transfer documents and land withdrawals and classifications into a
computerized system. The system contains historical records until the early 1990s. Some examples of data contained within
the Status system are:
GOVERNMENT

Land Classifications for Recreation & Public Purpose, power sites, etc.
• Land Withdrawals for the National Forest, National Park Service (NPS), National Monuments, reclamation and
other uses.
• Land Title Transfer for homesteads, sales, exchanges, mineral entry patents, etc.

What Are Cases That Affect Land Status or CASES?

Cases That Affect Land Status is a set of records displayed in GeoCommunicator from the LR2000 Status system that affect
GEO COMMUNICATOR

the land ownership and status. They include such things as land grants, land exchanges, land withdrawals, mineral patents,
land disposals, etc. This data is displayed in all map viewers. The Federal Surface Management Agency layer that is
displayed in all the map viewers in GeoCommunicator displays what federal agency is managing the surface of the land and
is not consider land status. BLM State Offices offer Master Title Plats and Historical Index for more information.

Some cases can't be displayed

Not all cases from our LR2000 system can be displayed in GeoCommunicator for the following reasons:

• We don't have a land description in NILS to display the case. We use the land descriptions in NILS to automatically
create the geometry for the case based on the case land description.
• The land description on the case is complex, missing, or bad.
• We haven't written conversion specifications for the land survey type yet.

Note: In some cases only a portion of the land for a case can be automatically generated. In these situations, not all land is
displayed and a flag is set to note that the case has only a partial geometry. For more information read the data disclaimer:
For access to all BLM case data use the LR2000 system.

The graphical display of land and mineral parcels and mining claims are NOT a substitute for the official BLM record. Most
of the cases from the BLM's National Integrated Land System and the BLM's Legacy Rehost LR2000 (LR2000) are
displayed in GeoCommunicator, although not all. Therefore, there are land and mineral records and mining claims issued or
recorded by the BLM and maintained in LR2000 and other systems that occur on the land but are not in GeoCommunicator
and therefore do not show up on the map viewer. Please refer to the LR2000 reporting system (http://www.blm.gov/lr2000)
for a complete list of land and mineral records and mining claims. Unpatented mining claims are generally 'nominally'
recorded to the quarter section. The actual location of the mining claims is somewhere in the mapped area. See "What's New"
and "About" under each section for more information.

Many of our map layers include data from other agencies including abandoned mines, surface management agency
boundaries, USFS range allotments and regulated uses, Topo maps, imagery, lakes, rivers, streams, etc. The USDOI does not
control the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of information provided by other agencies, and therefore, provides no warranty,
expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of furnished data. For additional information regarding
abandoned mine activities, please contact the Land Management Agency responsible for the public lands where the mine is
located.

The data on GeoCommunicator can be used for information, mapping, graphics, and planning purposes only. No
warranty, expressed or implied, including accuracy, relevancy, timeliness, utility, or completeness of the data, maps, or
information is made by the BLM. nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty for individual or aggregate
data use with other data. The BLM shall not be held liable for improper use of the data described and/or contained herein. By
using this data you hereby agree to these conditions. The BLM survey data is intended for mapping purposes only and is
not a substitute for an official land survey. Please read the DOI disclaimer for more information.

Lin Smith 45
 COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAP RESEARCH

46
 COLORADO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MAP RESEARCH

Lin Smith
47
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH
✓ Goggle Government only
Search

http://www.google.com/unclesam

Colorado Geological Survey

1313 Sherman St. #715
Denver, Colorado 80203

USGS Map Sales

Building 810
Denver Federal Center
Denver, Colorado
1-888-275-8747

BLM Cadastral Survey

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/cadastralsurvey.html

They are the surveys that create, mark, define, retrace, or reestablish the boundaries and subdivisions of the public lands
of the United States.

BLM GPS COORDINATES FOR BLM PARCELS LITTLE SNAKE FIELD OFFICE
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/lsfo/information/coordinates.html

Click on a township to access links to the files for the BLM boundary map or coordinate information for that particular
township.

BLM Federal Land Records Site General Land Office Records

http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/

This site offers researchers a source of information on the initial transfer of land titles from the Federal government to
individuals. Colorado is currently not listed on this site-only states that have been scanned and indexed are available
however new documents are added daily. Federal Land Patents, Federal Land Status Records and Federal survey Plats
and Field Notes are available.

Lin Smith 48
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH BLM GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATE DATABASE (GCDB)
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/more_programs/geographic_sciences/geographic_coordinate.html

The Geographic Coordinate Data Base (GCDB) is built from the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) records and other source
documents, and contains geographic coordinates such as latitude and longitude at the corner points of the rectangular surveys
and special surveys (i.e., mineral surveys, homestead entry and tract surveys, etc.). The accuracy of the coordinate value
generated for a corner point through GCDB, is in direct relationship to the era of survey or source document, e.g. coordinates
generated through GCDB from surveys conducted in the 1800s using technology common to-the-day, have lower accuracy
reliability than those coordinates generated from today’s Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. The GCDB is
designed to be the base layer which anchors the resource data to the legal description of the land and its position or location
on the earth’s surface.
US Forest Service Maps show roads, trails, streams, lakes, recreation sites, land ownership, and major points of interests
within each National Forest. Maps of the Rocky Mountain Region are available through the USFS at 303-275-5350.

✓BLM & U.S. Forest Service Geocommunicator

http://www.geocommunicator.gov/ http://www.geocommunicator.gov/blmMap/Map.jsp?MAP=MC

Bureau of Land Management’s land stewardship, survey, and minerals management information. Contains a mining claims
map.
Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Leasing
Coal and Other Solid Mineral Leasing
Rights-of-ways (power, water, communications, roads, railways, pipelines, wind and solar energy)
 Mining Claims (unpatented)
 Land Use Permits
 Mineral Materials, community pits
Land & Mineral Title
Land Withdrawals & Classifications
Range Allotments and Pastures, Allotment reports
Federal Surface Management Agency boundaries
Subsurface Mineral Estate
Public Land Survey System - PLSS (township, range, section, lots, surveys) – Downloadable

BLM Heritage Resources

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/CRM.html

BLM Management GIS Data Sites

http://www.blm.gov/nstc/gis/GISsites.html

List of various federal-level BLM GIS data sites and data sites by state.

Maps are continually being updated as newer

techniques become available. Maps that are
out of date can be useful to historians,
attorneys, environmentalists, genealogists,
and others interested in researching the
background of a particular area. Comparing a
series of maps of the same area can provide
an understanding of where mining operations
were. The early geological surveys that were
done in the 1870s did have photographers
and artist that documented the surveyed
areas.

1840 U.S. Geological Survey

Lin Smith 49
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH ✔BLM Land Patents Search
http://www.glorecords.blm.gov/PatentSearch/

Land patents document the transfer of land ownership from the federal government to individuals. Our land patent records
include the information recorded when ownership was transferred.

✔BLM Land Records Guide for searching thru the BLM General Land Office Records
http://uvpafug.org/presentations/Land_Records_Handouts.pdf.

BLM Map Information

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Resources/public_room/map_info.html

Surface Management Maps are detailed resource management maps measuring 42" x 30." Fifty-six are needed to cover
the state in its entirety. Each Surface Management Map contains Federal and State ownership information as well as
geographic, topographic and roadway information. Township, Range and Section information is also clearly marked. A
variation, the Surface and Mineral Management Map, depicts the location and nature of federally owned mineral rights in
addition to surface management information. Maps are updated regularly to accommodate changes in surface ownership.
Revisions are reviewed by staff at State and Field Offices to ensure accuracy.
State Maps are 52"x 44" resource management maps of the entire State of Colorado containing Federal and State ownership
information overlaid with Township and Range information. At this scale, maps contain only basic geographic, topographic,
and roadway information.
USGS Topographic Maps show topographic information, streams, roads, lakes and other physical features at a scale of
1:24,000. Surface management status is not shown, but they serve as an ideal supplement to Surface Management Maps.
They are available through USGS at 1-888-ASK-USGS.

BLM Mineral Survey Procedure Guide, Surveyor Program and Mineral Surveys
http://www.blm.gov/cadastral/minprocedures/mineralguide.htm#
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/more_programs/geographic_sciences/mineral_survey.html

BLM Records of the Bureau of Land Management Overview of Records Locations

Record Group 4
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/049.html#49.13.4

Central Intelligence Agency

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/cia-maps-publications/index.html

Agent for maps, atlases and publications released to public; worldwide scope.

EPA Enviromapper
http://www.epa.gov/emefdata/em4ef.home

A single point of access to select U.S. EPA environmental data. This Web site provides access to several EPA databases to
provide you with information about environmental activities that may affect air, water, and land anywhere in the United
States. With Envirofacts, you can learn more about these environmental activities in your area or you can generate maps of
environmental information.

Federal Geospatial Data Clearinghouse

http://registry.fgdc.gov/

A collection of over 250 spatial data servers, that have digital geographic data primarily for use in a GIS.

Lin Smith 50
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH ✓National Archives
http://www.archives.gov/

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the official repository of the permanently valuable records made or
accumulated by the U.S. Government, is responsible for preserving those records and making them available to the public,
government officials, and scholars. Among the records in the Cartographic and Architectural Branch of the NARA, are more
than 2 million maps produced by the Federal Government since 1774.

✓National Atlas.gov
http://www-atlas.usgs.gov/mapping.html

The National Atlas of the United States® is a concerted effort to present consistent and reliable national maps that can be used
to explore the human dimensions of American landscapes and environments.

NASA Visible Earth Earth Explorer

http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/?dataset_name=NAPP

National Geodetic Survey

http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey (NGS) defines and manages a national coordinate system. This network, the National
Spatial Reference System (NSRS), provides the foundation for transportation and communication; mapping and charting; and
a multitude of scientific and engineering applications.

National Geologic Map Database

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/

National Geophysical Data Center

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provides scientific stewardship, products, and services for geophysical
data from the Sun to the Earth and Earth's sea floor and solid earth environment, including Earth observations from space.

National Map Viewer

http://nmviewogc.cr.usgs.gov/viewer.htm

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration

http://www.noaa.gov/

National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

The IMC contains information about and maps of national parks. The IMC delivers base maps and park brochure maps for
geographic reference and navigation to and within parks. Across the top of the webpage are Tab's that switch you from Park
Locator, to Park Atlas, to Resource Links and On-line Help. The Park Locator gives you the ability to identify and navigate to
any park in the National Park System. The Park Atlas Allows you to explore the mapped resources for all parks.

Lin Smith 51
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH National Park Service: all publications
http://home.nps.gov/applications/hafe/hfc/salespub.cfm

National Park Service Digital versions of Printed Maps

http://www.nps.gov/carto

The maps on this site are digital versions of those maps found in the official brochures provided to National Park visitors.
They are a product of National Park Service cartographers at Harpers Ferry Center.

Here you will find maps and data in three formats:

• Adobe Acrobat PDF (for general browser viewing and printing)

• Adobe Illustrator (the same maps as the PDFs, but intended for professional print production and not viewable
in browsers)
• JPEG shaded relief (large high-resolution topography for professional print production)

The maps at this site are in the public domain. You may use National Park Service maps provided that you agree to assume
complete legal responsibility for problems resulting from their use.

National Park Service: GIS Homepage

http://www.nps.gov/gis/

National Park Service Maps Harpers Ferry Center

http://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/index.htm

The maps on this site are digital versions of those maps found in the official brochures provided to National Park visitors.
They are a product of National Park Service cartographers at Harpers Ferry Center.

✓Public Lands Information Center Your One-Stop Source for Recreation Information
http://publiclands.org/home.php?SID=

Public Lands Map Center Find the maps you need to enjoy your Western Public Lands
http://www.plicmapcenter.org/

US Army Corps of Engineers

http://www.agc.army.mil/

Common Map Background, GeoPDF examples, AGC GeoGlobe (CAC Required), Water Resources

USDA Data Gateway Geospatial

http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/

The "one stop source of natural resources data." Includes census data, landmarks, road and water information, aerial
photography (DOQQs and other), topographic maps (DRGs), and more.

Lin Smith 52
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH USDA Forest Service
http://www.fs.fed.us/

USDA Forest Service Archeology Program

http://www.cast.uark.edu/other/nps/maplib/

NADB-MAPS (Multiple Attribute Presentation System) Library provides GIS layers related to archeological data.

USDA Forest Service Maps and Brochures

http://www.fs.fed.us/maps/

"A Guide To Your National Forests" is a free brochure showing locations of national forests and grasslands along with
contact information. Available from forest service offices.

FOREST VISITOR MAPS US Forest Service

"Visitor Maps" for each national forest and grassland provide forest-wide information on attractions, facilities,
services, and opportunities. These maps are available to purchase from individual forests, the National Forest Store
and many retail outlets.
TOPOGRAPHIC MAPS US Forest Service
"Topographic Maps" provide the greatest level of detail and only cover small portions of a forest. These maps are
available to purchase from the US Geological Survey, many individual forests, and many retail outlets.
SPECIALTY MAPS & BROCHURES US Forest Service
Many specialty maps and brochures are available from individual forests and the National Forest Store covering
specific trails, Wilderness Areas and other special areas. The US Geological Survey also sells many other map
products covering the national forests and grasslands.

✓USDA Forest Service Geodata Clearinghouse

http://svinetfc4.fs.fed.us/clearinghouse/index.html

The FSGeodata Clearinghouse provides searching, viewing and downloading of geospatial datasets and metadata created
and maintained by the USDA Forest Service over lands of the National Forest System.

U.S. Department of Interior

http://www.doi.gov/
http://www.doi.gov/tourists/plan-a-trip.cfm

Recreation.gov offers a single point of access to information about federal recreational activities and reservations.

U.S. Federal Aviation Administration

http://www.naco.faa.gov/index.asp?xml=naco/catalog

Aeronautical products and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for nautical charts and NOS for spatial
data.

U.S. Flood Management Association

http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/FemaWelcomeView?
storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&userType=G

Lin Smith 53
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Water Shed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental
Results
http://www.epa.gov/waters/enviromapper/

EnviroMapper for Water is a web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) application that dynamically displays water
quality and other environmental information about bodies of water in the United States

U.S. Government Bookstore

http://bookstore.gpo.gov/

✓U.S. Geological Survey home

http://www.usgs.gov/

✓U.S. Maps and Data geodata.gov

http://gos2.geodata.gov/wps/portal/gos/kcxml/ZcvRCoIwGAXgZ-
kJDplUXhpY4rKi2nC7kVFDBm4GRVFPn7K1oM7Vf76fAwEOYeVdN_KmOytbVBDTmtTRIhtew7lJwH9p_kds5YgVQTIvyyBbL
4ePxEnh6DhJvrZ2FqdRWBK_LINQLwxl3hnVO5_1fZzuKUSrGnl6glowo602-qXOINjhYqhP9biqdPQGvVHAuw!!/delta/
base64xml/L3dJdyEvd0ZNQUFzQUMvNElVRS82X0xfSVI!

Your One Stop for Finding and Using Geographic Data Don’t ask-only the Gov. could create such a long link!
It does work, and you will have to work at learning your way around this site.

U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

https://www1.nga.mil/ProductsServices/Pages/default.aspx

Nautical, aeronautical, terrestrial/topographic

U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA/DMA)

http://egsc.usgs.gov/nimamaps/

Three very
good friends.
1874. W.H.
Jackson, US.
Geographical
and Geologic
Surveys-
Hayden

USGS
ID. Jackson, W.
H.  514
jwh00514

Lin Smith 54
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH EXPLORATION: U.S.
Geological and
Geographical Survey
of the Territories
(Hayden Survey) At
work. Summit of Mt.
Evans. James T.
Gardiner (left) and
George B. Chittenden
(right) at work with
notebook and transit,
respectively.
Handwritten text at
right: "Wm. H.
Holmes Colorado
1873." Printed in
another hand: "Field
Book 1873 - W.H.
Holmes. Vol. 1.
1873." Colorado, July
28, 1873. USGS
ID. Holmes, W.H. 822
3000182230001

The maps and charts which the discoverers of new regions used to construct form a class of the most interesting
historical documents. They not only illustrate in a most clear way the verbal reports and the geographical ideas of
the explorers and confirm them, but they also contain sometimes additional matter not contained in the reports.
The greater number of authors on voyages and collectors of traveling reports, therefore, have accompanied their
works by maps.

Johann George Kohl 1857

USGS Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center
http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/

The U.S. Geological Survey Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center conducts unbiased research on the
occurrence, quality, quantity, and availability of mineral resources to help the Nation make informed decisions using earth-
science information.

USGS Digital Maps and Data

http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/data.html

USGS Earthexplorer
http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/?dataset_name=NAPP

Topographic maps are not the only cartographic products available from the USGS. The USGS publishes and
distributes a variety of special-purpose maps. Some of these are topographic-bathymetric maps, photo image
maps, satellite image maps, geologic maps, land use and land cover maps, and hydrologic maps. Each type of
map has a distinct purpose and appearance and, like topographic maps, all are available to the public for the cost
of reproduction and distribution. USGS maps are not copyrighted.

Lin Smith 55
 MAP RESEARCH
French Gulch showing mines and
dredging operations. Starting in the
lower left corner with the Reiling
dredge. This has just turned after a
successful run upstream. A few
visible operations are further
identified from near top of hill at left
to right: as Old Onion shaft, Old
GOVERNMENT

Union mill and tunnel, lower left,

and Reliance dredge just right of
center. Mineral and Farncomb hills
are seen in the distant background.
Breckenridge District. Summit
County, Colorado. 1909. Plate 24-B
in U.S. Geological Survey
Professional paper 75, 1911
USGS ID. Ransome, F.L.  726 rfl00726

USGS Data Available in SDTS

http://mcmcweb.er.usgs.gov/sdts/data.html

USGS Data Available in SDTS is a large amount of USGS Digital Line Graph (DLG) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
data are available for immediate download, at no charge.

USGS--EROS Data Center: GISDATA Map Studio

http://gisdata.usgs.net/search.php

Links and explanations of all types of USGS GIS data and how to get it.

✓USGS Geologic Map Database

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/

Your Geoscience resource for maps and related data about: geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics,
geochemistry,geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology

USGS Geographic data download

http://edc2.usgs.gov/geodata/index.php

Download major USGS data sets including DEMs and DLGs.

USGS Geography Products

http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/pubslists/

✓USGS Geological Atlas Texas A & M Library

http://repository.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/2490

The Geologic Atlas of the United States is a set of 227 folios published by the U.S. Geological Survey between
1894 and 1945. Each folio includes both topographic and geologic maps for each quad represented in that folio,
as well as description of the basic and economic geology of the area. The Geologic Atlas collection is
maintained by Map and GIS Collections and Services within the TAMU Libraries.

Lin Smith 56
GOVERNMENT MAP RESEARCH USGS Maps on Demand - Limited Printing of
Digitally Supported U.S. Geological Survey
Maps and Reports for Colorado
http://store.usgs.gov/mod/co.html#HM-District
This is just one example of a map that is available for
download
This map was constructed to identify ferricrete occurrences
in the upper Animas River watershed.
USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/
Located in Denver, Colorado conducts mapping activities in the
western United States, which include production of digital
elevation and planimetric data, production of graphic maps, and
development of new mapping techniques. The center maintains
the worldwide distribution facility for more than 100,000 different
maps, open file reports, and other products of the United States
Geological Survey (USGS) and other Federal agencies.

USGS LIDAR Data

Includes elevation data. Lidar is a detection system that ✓USGS State Geologic Maps
works on the principle of radar, but uses light from a laser. http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/publications/
maps.html#anchorStatemaps

✓USGS National Map ✓USGS Store

http://nationalmap.gov/index.html
The geographic information available from The National Map
includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation, geographic
names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and
land cover.
http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/b2c/start/
%28xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd%29/.do
Includes US topo maps, USGS geological/hydrological
series, aerial photos, digital data, satellite images.

✓USGS National Geological Map Data Base

USGS The Four Great Surveys of the West
http://maps.ngmdb.us/dataviewer/
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1050/surveys.htm

USGS National Map Seamless Server

http://seamless.usgs.gov/ ✓USGS Topographic Mapping Only for
Historic Reference
http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/topo/topo.html
USGS Publications Warehouse
http://pubs.er.usgs.gov The USGS began topographic and geologic mapping in 1879.
Most of the early USGS mapping activities took place in the vast,
largely uninhabited Western United States.

Camp of the miners of the

North Star and Mountaineer
lodes, on King Solomon
Mountain, above Cunningham
Gulch. San Juan County,
Colorado. 1875

USGS ID. Jackson, W.H.  566
jwh00566

Lin Smith 57
MAP RESEARCH American Congress on Surveying and Mapping
http://www.acsm.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=480

The American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) was founded in June 1941 and is incorporated as a nonprofit
educational organization whose goal is to advance the sciences of surveying and mapping and related fields, in furtherance
of the welfare of those who use and make maps.

Cadastral Survey Principal Meridians and Base Lines

http://www.blm.gov/cadastral/meridians/meridians.htm
MAPS

This is information you would need when researching claims.

Central Intelligence Agency

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/cia-maps-publications/index.html

Agent for maps, atlases and publications released to public; worldwide scope.

✓DAVID RAMSEY MAP COLLECTION

http://www.davidrumsey.com/
This web site has wonderful resources, a must use site. Not only are there maps there may be pictures also. You are able to
zoom into a map you might want to look at for more detail.

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center

http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/

The Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) is a remotely sensed data management, systems
development, and research field center for the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Geography Discipline. The USGS is a
bureau of the U.S. Department of the Interior.

Products & Data Available

Aerial Photography, Satellite Imagery, Elevation, Land Cover, Digitized Maps, Image Gallery

Data Discovery Tools

Earth Explorer, New Earth Explore, Glovis, The Seamless Server, NASA, LP DAAC USGS Geographic Data Download,
USGS Web Mapping Portal. http://gisdata.usgs.net/

ESRI Mapping for Everyone

http://www.esri.com/software/mapping_for_everyone/index.html

Free mapping tools. Anyone can use geographic information systems (GIS) to create maps and use them to make better
decisions. Explore how you can make interactive maps and share them with others:
• Make a Map—Make interactive demographic maps and share them.
• Web Mapping APIs—Create interactive maps and embed them in your Web site.
• Virtual Globe—Use the free ArcGIS Explorer download to view your spatial data and combine it with free map
services.

Flash Earth
http://www.flashearth.com/

Explore satellite and aerial imagery of the Earth from multiple sources including NASA, Microsoft and more.

Lin Smith 58
MAP RESEARCH FS Geodata Clearinghouse
http://fsgeodata.fs.fed.us/#

Forest Service Maps include large and intermediate scale topographic, visitor, and special projects maps. These maps
contain Forest Service information such as boundaries, surveys, facilities, roads, trails and other features.
Other Forest Service Data Sets provide data from Forest Service research and development scientists, state GIS resources,
and others. Also includes Automated Lands Project (ALP) data.
View, Query, and Download Vector data for National Forest Lands including Cartographic Feature Files
Raster data for National Forest Lands Raster 1:24000 Map Files Download State and Private Forestry Assessment Data
MAPS

geo community GIS Data Depot University of Denver

http://data.geocomm.com/

Please note that data available from this site requires users to be proficient in GIS and may require access to GIS software.
Numerous data holdings are available for free download, otherwise, data can be downloaded.

✓Geologic Atlas of the United States Texas A&M

http://repository.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/2490

The Geologic Atlas of the United States is a set of 227 folios published by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1894 and
1945. Each folio includes both topographic and geologic maps for each quad represented in that folio, as well as description
of the basic and economic geology of the area.

geoplace.com The Authoritative Resource for Spatial Matters

http://www.geoplace.com/ME2/default.asp\

✔Government Made Easy The U.S. Governmentʼs Official Web Portal

http://www.usa.gov/

Where to search for topics on U.S. Government. I typed in gold and there were over 4 million resources.

Historical Census Browser University of Virginia Library

http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/

Historic Map Works

http://historicmapworks.com/

Find maps by browsing millions of points of interest contained on maps within our collection. Points of interest are divided
into categories and include buildings, cemeteries, churches, schools, geographic features and much more.

History Matters The U.S. Survey Course on the Web

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/search.php

Designed for high school and college teachers and students, History Matters serves as a gateway to web resources and offers
other useful materials for teaching U.S. history.

✓Hunting GPS Maps. Com Colorado Land Ownership Topo Maps for your GPS
http://www.huntinggpsmaps.com/colorado/GPSpubliclandownership.html

You will be able to see your position relative to public and private land boundaries. For example, if you are on a BLM
section, your current location will show up on a yellow background. If you are on private land, your GPS will show your
current location on a white background.
Lin Smith 59
MAP RESEARCH Map History/History of Cartography The Gateway to the Subject
http://maphistory.info/

A round-up of national and international digital projects concerning early mapping.

Microsoft Research Maps

http://msrmaps.com/Default.aspx

The Microsoft Research Maps Web site is one of the world's largest online databases, providing free public access to a vast
MAPS

data store of maps and aerial photographs of the United States. Microsoft Research Maps is designed to work with
commonly available computer systems and Web browsers over slow speed communications links.

National Archives.GOV Historical Documents Online

Maps and Geographic Materials
http://www.archives.gov/research/arc/topics/maps.html

✓ Oddensʼ Bookmarks
http://oddens.geog.uu.nl/index.php

While this site is no longer maintained there is still access to hundred’s of resources. The bookmarks include over 22,000
links but it is not actively maintained.

Surveyors of The American West William Henry Jackson & Robert Brewster Stanton
http://digital.nypl.org/surveyors/

William Jackson was an American photographer, artist and writer. He became the official photographer of the U.S.
Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories in 1870. Robert Stanto was a civil and mining engineer, who was
chief engineer of the Denver, Colorado Canyon and Pacific Railroad Co.

T I G E R Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing system

http://www.census.gov/

• TIGER/Line®Shapefiles are spatial extracts from the Census Bureau's MAF/TIGER database, containing features
such as roads, railroads, rivers, as well as legal and statistical geographic areas.
• TIGER/Line®Shapefiles are made available to the public for no charge and are typically used to provide the digital
map base for a Geographic Information System or for mapping software.
• TIGER/Line®Shapefiles are designed for use with geographic information system (GIS) software. The TIGER/
Line®Shapefiles do not include demographic data,
but they contain geographic entity codes that can
be linked to the Census Bureau’s demographic
data, available on American Fact Finder

The Big Four!

http://www.mapquest.com
http://maps.google.com
http://maps.yahoo.com
http://maps.live.com

Lin Smith 60
 MAP RESEARCH

Royal Gorge Field Office

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/
fo/rgfo.html

  3028 East Main Street  

COLORADO GOVERNMENT

Cañon City, Colorado 81212

719-269-8500  
Fax 719-269-8599

✔BLM Placer Mining Royal Gorge Field Office

Area
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/rgfo/minerals/
locatable_minerals/placer_mining.html

You really have to click around the Royal Gorge Site – this gives
you a direct link to the Arkansas River, Cache Creek Area and
Notices and Applications.

Views among the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Camp scene.

Sketching. Dr. Hayden and Walter Pari,Colorado. 1874. (Stereoscopic
view) USGS ID. Jackson, W.H. 1635 jwh01635

Royal Gorge Field

Office
Counties: Baca, Bent,
Chaffee, Custer, Crowley, El
Paso, Fremont,
Huerfano, Kiowa, Lake, Las
Animas, Otero, Park, Prowers,
Pueblo,
Teller, Adams, Arapaho,
Boulder, Cheyenne, Clear
Creek, Douglas,
Elbert, Gilpin, Jefferson, Kit
Carson, Larimer, Lincoln,
Logan,
Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick,
Washington, Weld and Yuma
SOLID MINERALS
Solid minerals management for the RGFO follows our diverse geology on
lands that essentially extend east from the Continental Divide. Minerals
include gold mining and placer activities, gravel pit management, and
uranium exploration. Minerals management is challenged by complex and
scattered land status that is often unsurveyed in mountainous areas that
include historic mining districts.
They manage the historic Gold Hill mine established in 1873 and hundreds
of small placer mining operations along the Arkansas River from Cañon
City to Leadville.

Lin Smith 61
 MAP RESEARCH

BLM Colorado River Valley Field

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/
crvfo.html

2300 River Frontage Road

Silt, CO 81652
COLORADO GOVERNMENT

970-876-9000
FAX 970-876-9090

Garfield, Mesa, Eagle, Pitkin, Routt

and Rio Blanco Counties

U. S. Geological Survey camp, with personnel

and horses, near the mouth of Oh-Be-Joyful
Gulch, Slate River Valley. Gunnison County,
Colorado. 1909.
USGS ID. Lee, W.T.  446 lwt00446

BLM Gunnison Field Office

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html

BLM Gunnison Field Office

216 North Colorado St.
Gunnison, CO 81230
Phone (970) 641-0471
Fax (970) 642-4425
Office hours are 7:30 to 4:30
Monday through Friday

Lin Smith 62
 MAP RESEARCH

BLM Uncompahgre Field Office

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/ufo.html

2465 S. Townsend Ave, Montrose, CO 

81401
COLORADO GOVERNMENT

Phone: (970) 240-5300  |  TDD (970)

240-5366  |  FAX (970) 240-5367
Office hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Blevins mine on Lay Creek, Yampa field,

Moffat County, Colorado. 1906. Plate
12-B in U.S. Geological Survey. Bulletin
415. 1910. USGS
ID. Hancock, E.T. 111 het00111

BLM White River Field Office

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/wrfo.html

White River Field Office

220 E. Market Street
Meeker, CO 81641
 
Phone: (970) 878-3800
FAX:  (970) 878-3805
 e-mail: wrfomail@blm.gov

Office Hours:  
Monday - Friday 7:45AM to 4:30PM
 Closed on Federal Holidays

Lin Smith 63
 MAP RESEARCH
BLM Little Snake Field
Office
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/
lsfo.html

455 Emerson Street Craig,

COLORADO GOVERNMENT

CO 81625-1129
Phone: 970-826-5000 |
Fax: 970-826-5002 | Office
Hours: 7:45 AM – 4:30 PM M-F

EXPLORATION: United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (Hayden). "Table Rock," Golden
City. Colorado Territory, July 28, 1869. USGS ID. Elliott, H.W. 82050027

BLM San Juan

Public Lands Center
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/
en/fo/sjplc.html

15 Burnett Court
Durango, CO  81301
(970) 247-4874
TDD: (970) 385-1257

Office Hours are Monday-

Friday from 8:00 AM to
5:00 PM.

Lin Smith 64
 MAP RESEARCH

Grand Junction Field Office

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo.html

2815 H. Road
Grand Junction, Colorado 81506
970-244-3000
COLORADO GOVERNMENT

Office Hours:  7:30a AM- 4:30 PM M-F

FAX 970-244-3083

The Hayden Survey was a federal government assignment: a commission to survey the land and resources of large sections of the Intermountain
West and to report back to the government.  To read about Ferdinand V. Hayden, M.D., and for more information, see the USGS's essay on the
Web, "The Four Great Surveys of the West," which notes that in 1872 the U.S. Government gave Hayden $75,000 for his Geological and
Geographical Survey of the Territories.  Although the United States Geological Survey was not established until March 3, 1879, the title page of
these maps reads as follows:

Department of the Interior.

United States Geological and Geographical Surveys of the Territories
Geological and Geographical Atlas of Colorado and Portions of Adjacent Territory
by F. V. Hayden U.S. Geologist in Charge 1877. Julius Bien, Lith.
Lin Smith 65
 MAP RESEARCH ✔BLM Bureau of Land Management Colorado
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en.html

BLM Fossil Resources

on Public Lands
http://www.blm.gov/heritage/fossils_laws.htm

BLM Map Information Colorado

COLORADO MAPS

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Resources/
public_room/map_info.html

BLM Survey Records for Colorado

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/
geographical_sciences/cadastral/records.html Triangulation, summit of Sultan Mountain. Wilson
and Rhoda. San Juan County, Colorado. 1874.
(Stereoscopic view)
✓Colorado Geological Survey Statewide Maps USGSID. Jackson, W.H. 1111jwh01111

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?tabid=62
http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?
The Digital Geologic Map of Colorado in ARC/INFO
tabid=37 Format

http://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/metadata/open-file/92-507/
Colorado Geological Survey Map Store
metadata.faq.html
http://dnr.state.co.us/geostore/category.aspx?
categoryID=45
This geologic map was prepared as a part of a study of digital
methods and techniques as applied to complex geologic
Colorado Geological Survey maps.
http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?tabid=29
Geoscience Data Catalog
Colorado Department of Natural Resources
http://www.dnr.state.co.us/ http://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/catalog/place.php?g=fUS08
Penrose shaft house, Leadville. Lake County,
Colorado. 1908 USGS ID. Irving, J.D. 10
ijd00010

Lin Smith 66
 MAP RESEARCH ✓Colorado's Biological Map and Data Resource MapIt! Interactive Mapping
http://ndis.nrel.colostate.edu/index.html

The Natural Diversity Information Source (NDIS) website provides mapping, data, information, and links to similar
websites concerning hunting, fishing, wildlife, habitat, and conservation planning issues in Colorado.
The general public can quickly access basic information, interactive maps, and links to similar websites; while Conservation
Planners, biologists, and mapping professionals have ready access to much more detailed information, and digital (GIS)
map layers for planning and analysis purposes.
MapIt! interactive mapping, where summits, campgrounds, streams, forest roads lakes, US Forest land and more can be
viewed as a Topo Map, Aerial Photo or Hillshade
COLORADO MAPS

Colorado Geological Survey Downloadable Data

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?tabid=32

Download Items
• Base map and General Interest, Engineering Geology and Geologic Hazards
• Environmental Geology, Geologic Mapping, Geothermal Resources, Mineral Resources
• Publications, RockTalk Newsletter

Colorado Geological Survey Geologic Mapping

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/Default.aspx?tabid=37

Colorado Geology Photo Journals A Tribute to Colorado's Physical Past and Present
http://geology.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ/
Ya&zTi=1&sdn=geology&cdn=education&tm=30&f=21&tt=14&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.cliffshade.com/colorado/

Great images, maps and explanations of Colorado’s geology.

Colorado Ownership Management and Protection Mapping the Status and Trends of
Colorado's Protected Places COMaP
http://www.nrel.colostate.edu/projects/comap/index.html

COMaP is available for viewing on-line via the Natural Diversity Information Source (NDIS). NDIS provides a wealth of
various map layers that can be used to explore Colorado. The Identify tool can be used to view attribute information about
any feature within COMaP.One feature of the MapIt! interactive mapping application is the ability to customize a map and
then post a web address for others to view your map.

Colorado Renewable Resource Data

http://www.coloradoenergy.org/corrd/default.asp

Transmission Lines, Wind Classes, Federal Lands maps. An interactive map of wind classes, transmission lines, and federal
lands in Colorado. Click on "download maps" to download data-sets, including wind speed. (Works best in Internet
Explorer.)

Colorado Water Conservation Board

http://cdss.state.co.us/DNN/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

The Decision Support System provides a wide range of water related research tools that are available online free of charge.
These tools enable users to retrieve water data contained within HydroBase; including stream flows, lake levels, water
rights, diversion records, calls, etc.
Map Viewer A map based tool available online free of charge. This tool enables users to view data layers on a map.
Layers include Climate Stations, Stream gages, Diversion structures, Well Permits, Land Use studies, etc.

Lin Smith 67
 MAP RESEARCH Digital Geologic Map of Colorado in ARC/INFO Format USGS
http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1992/ofr-92-0507/

This geologic map was prepared as a part of a study of digital methods and techniques as applied to complex geologic maps.
The geologic map was digitized from the original scribe sheets used to prepare the published Geologic Map of Colorado
(Tweto 1979).

Federal GIS Coordination Committee of Colorado

http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/fgisccc/html/index.html
COLORADO MAPS

The Federal GIS Coordination Committee is composed of representatives from the various federal agencies in the Denver/Front
Range area with an interest in sharing information on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) related activities.

Field Division of Colorado National Park Service

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/berkeley/rensch3/rensch3h.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY Source Materials, Books Dealing Primarily with North Central Colorado, and Texts.

Gold Out West

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.goldoutwest.com/locmappadre.jpg&imgrefurl=http://
www.goldoutwest.com/
sampledocs.html&usg=__2EvBQ_zypdUWupCO6J3bntDAMIk=&h=2200&w=1648&sz=249&hl=en&start=38&um=1
&itbs=1&tbnid=_M6MSlZSKggN3M:&tbnh=150&tbnw=112&prev=/images%3Fq%3DBLM%2BMining%2BClaims
%26start%3D36%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-
US:official%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1

Historical Maps of Colorado

http://alabamamaps.ua.edu/historicalmaps/us_states/colorado/index.html

Incredible resources of maps available which once you figure out how to view the site you can zoom in great details. Go to the
Help section and follow the directions given. If you don’t mind dealing with Pop-ups which get in the way of your ability to
view the maps you can access some great maps. Go to Help at the top of the page, click on historical maps, and discover a
convenient method by which to gain access to the historical maps at the web site.

Historic Trail Maps of Eastern Colorado and Northeastern New Mexico

http://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/2004/2828/

This limited-edition boxed set contains all 11 of Glenn Scott's historic trail maps plus a richly illustrated pamphlet that
provides a biographical sketch of Scott, a description of how he started the historic trail map series, and text sections that
describe the Colorado Gold Rush, Santa Fe Trail, Mexican Land Grants, and other topics. The boxed sets are available for
purchase at Information Services, U.S. Geological Survey (1-888-ASK-USGS).
Individual trail maps are also available for purchase at Information Services, U.S. Geological Survey (1-888-ASK-USGS).

Southwest Data Center, Inc.

http://www.southwestdata.org/

Goal is to provide a neutral source of information for southwest Colorado, with a primary focus to create and provide GIS data
over the Internet. Site includes maps, GIS links, regional GIS database, Make a Map, Metadata Clearinghouse, etc.

Public access to integrated and maintained data is a key component of the Data Integration Project. Data may be accessed in
various ways depending on the client resources.

Lin Smith 68
 Geocaching
GEOCACHING MAP RESEARCHING
on public lands BLM
Geocaching is a 21st Century treasure hunting
adventure game played by global positioning
system (GPS) users while enjoying freedom of
access to the public lands. BLM welcomes this
activity in the right locations on the public lands if
conducted with minimal impact to the environment
and conscientious land use ethics are followed.
Geocaching is related to orienteering (where
participants find their way with a compass) except
it takes advantage of a GPS unit's capabilities. The
locations of physical and virtual caches all over the
world are shared on the Internet. Visitors use
location coordinates to find caches, then are faced
with a variety of rewards. The visitor may be
expected to leave or replace items in the cache,
deliver items to another cache, or take a self-
portrait to upload to an Internet virtual album. The
cache may be a small waterproof box or simply an
unmistakable landmark to include in the portrait.
Geocaching may become a management concern
for BLM if it jeopardizes public health and safety,
causes environmental damage, or conflicts with
other authorized uses.
You can avoid concern about establishing a cache
by contacting the local BLM office to identify the
intended location and request authorization. BLM
will be happy to check that the proposed cache
location:
• Is not near a known archaeological site
• Will not interfere with threatened or
endangered species habitat
• Will not conflict with other land uses
• Is not hazardous
• Requires no other special considerations
Lin Smith
BLM's Geocaching Game
Rules
• Identify proposed cache locations to the
local BLM office before placing a cache
• Do not place caches at archaeological sites
• Obtain a BLM permit for any competitive
events, contests for prizes, paid
participation, or caches hosted by
commercial business
• Advise BLM if you observe any misuse or
abuse of a cache location
•
• Policy/Action: A special recreation permit
(SRP) is not required if the geocaching
activity complies with casual use
conditions.
• The following conditions apply to casual
use: the activity is
Not a commercial endeavor, the activity complies
with land use decisions and designations, (i.e.,
special area designations and wilderness interim
management policy), and it does not award cash
prizes, is not publicly advertised, poses minimal
risk for damage to public land or related water
resource values, and generally requires no
monitoring.
Geocaching Colorado
This organization has been established to promote
positive relations with land managers in Colorado,
and increase communication in the geocaching
community.
http://www.geocachingcolo.com/landmanagement.htm
69
 MAP RESEARCH The Colorado Genealogical Society
http://www.cogensoc.us/

Western History and Genealogy Denver Library

http://history.denverlibrary.org/research/exclusive.html

Colorado Genealogy and Obituaries

GENEALOGY

• Locally created content 59ers' Directory – Colorado Argonauts

• A directory of their arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches, with names of old
towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in the
Pikes Peak Region.
• Locally created content Colorado Mining Fatalities pre-1963
• Personal information and dates of persons killed as well as major mine accidents, causes of accidents, mining activity
per county, poll of nationalities and more.
• Locally created content Colorado Obituary Project
• Statewide index of approximately 50,000 non-Denver obituaries mostly from the 1970s through 1990. Researchers
may request a copy of the full-text obituary through the Western History and Genealogy Department.
• Locally created content Colorado State Reformatory Prisoner Records
• Index of names of prisoners in attendance from 1887 through 1939.
• Locally created content Colorado Statesman Index
• Index of funeral notices, obituaries, and news articles from the leading weekly newspaper serving the African
American community from 1904 to 1954.
• Locally created content Colorado World War I Casualties in Europe
• Location of the burial place of each fallen soldier given.
• Locally created content Denver Area Cemeteries
• Historical background and a list of current cemeteries.
• Locally created content Denver Obituary Index
• Index of obituaries and funeral notices that appeared in the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News between 1936
and 2005.
• Locally created content Denver’s War Dead - World War I
• The names of the men and women from Denver who lost their lives during WWI. List taken from the article, “Hail,
Heroes! Hail!” which appeared in the Denver Post, November 11, 1920.
• Locally created content Farmer and Hale Mortuary Index 1889 - 1909
• Index to registers by this mortuary. Registers are available for in library use only and require staff retrieval.
• Locally created content Horan Burial Index 1900 - 1956
• Index to registers of burial by this mortuary. Registers are available for in library use only and require staff retrieval.
• Available at Denver Public Library Historic Materials Available in the Library
• Locally created content Old Ladies Relief Society Index
• Index to residents of the old ladies home from 1897 to 1980.
• Locally created content Sons of Colorado Index 1906 - 1908
• Index of articles including biographies and obituaries of Colorado pioneers which appeared in the pages of the Sons
of Colorado. This was published by the pioneer society, Sons of Colorado. The title was later changed to The Trail.
• Locally created content Trail Index 1908 – 1929
• Index of articles including profiles and obituaries of pioneers that was published 1908-1929 by the Sons of Colorado.
Colorado Maps and Place Names
• Search the catalog for images of maps and places.
• Available at Denver Public Library Historic Materials Available in the Library
• Locally created content Place Names of Colorado
• A comprehensive listing of place names or sites in Colorado that would direct the researcher to recent and readily
available publications.
Colorado Pioneer Records
• Locally created content 1885 Colorado State Census - Arapahoe County
• Schedules of population, agriculture, manufacturers and mortality.
• Locally created content 1887 Denver City Directory
• Arranged alphabetically, by address, and by occupation, race, gender and employer in three volumes.
• Locally created content Clear Creek Pioneers Index
• Index of pioneers taken from Annals of Clear Creek County, Colorado by J. S. Randall. Listing includes the pioneer's
name, place and year of birth, residence or place and date of death.
• Locally created content Colorado 1861 Territorial Election
• List of Colorado voters, boundaries, and poll locations in the 1861 territorial election.

Lin Smith 70
 MAP RESEARCH Locally created content Colorado Argonauts – 59ers' Directory
• A directory of prospector arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches with names of
old towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in
the Pikes Peak Region.
• Locally created content Real Pioneers of Colorado
• List of some 1400 names of pioneers who arrived in Colorado prior to February 26, 1861. Names organized
alphabetically and include short biographies.
• Locally created content Sons of Colorado Index 1906 - 1908
• Index of articles including biographies and obituaries of Colorado pioneers which appeared in the pages of the Sons
of Colorado. This was published by the pioneer society, Sons of Colorado. The title was later changed to The Trail.
GENEALOGY

• Locally created content Trail Index 1908 – 1929

• Index of articles including profiles and obituaries of pioneers that was published 1908-1929 by the Sons of Colorado.
Colorado and Nebraska Military
• Locally created content 10th Mountain Division Collection
• Name lookup, exhibit, links and how to access the collection.
• Locally created content Civil War Grand Army of the Republic - Colorado
• List of Colorado veterans who served in the United States on land or sea during the Civil War.
• Locally created content Nebraska Civil War Records
• Lists of Nebraska veterans who served in the United States on land or sea during the Civil War.
• Locally created content Colorado World War I Casualties in Europe
• Location of the burial place of each fallen soldier given.
• Locally created content Colorado World War I Draft Registration – Minorities
• Index to draft registration cards on microfilm.
• Locally created content Colorado World War I Draft Registration Cards
• Index to draft registration cards on microfilm.
• Locally created content Denver’s War Dead - World War I
• The names of the men and women from Denver who lost their lives during WWI. List taken from the article, “Hail,
Heroes! Hail!” which appeared in the Denver Post, November 11, 1920.

✓Colorado Mining
• Locally created content 59ers' Directory – Colorado Argonauts
• A directory of prospector arrivals, removals, deaths, marriages, children, property, mines, and ranches, with names of
old towns, mining camps, gulches, mountains, rivers, creeks, and other matters relating to the setting of their lives in
the Pikes Peak Region.
• Locally created content Colorado Mining Fatalities pre-1963
• Personal information and dates of persons killed as well as major mine accidents, causes of accidents, mining activity
per county, poll of nationalities and more.

Locally created content Sons of Colorado Index 1906 - 1908

• Index of articles including biographies and obituaries of Colorado pioneers which appeared in the pages of the Sons
of Colorado. This was published by the pioneer society, Sons of Colorado. The title was later changed to The Trail.
• Locally created content Trail Index 1908 – 1929
• Index of articles including profiles and obituaries of pioneers that was published 1908-1929 by the Sons of Colorado.

Family History Centers in Colorado LDS Library

http://www.familysearch.org/Eng/Library/FHC/FHC_Results.asp?FHCCountry=United
+States&FHCStateProv=CO&FHCCounty=&FHCCity=&submit=Search

Family History Centers are branch facilities of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. Centers provide access to most
of the microfilms and microfiche in the Family History Library to help patrons identify their ancestors. Everyone is welcome
to come to the centers and use Family History Center resources.

Colorado Springs Colorado North

8710 Lexington Dr
Colorado Springs, El Paso, Colorado, United States
Phone: 719-534-9621
Hours: Monday & Tuesday 10:00 AM-3:30 PM; Wednesday 10:00 AM-1 PM; Wednesday 6 PM-9 PM; Friday & Sat
10 AM-1 PM. Closed: Thursdays and Sundays. Snow closures, follow District 20 & District 38

Lin Smith 71
 MAP RESEARCH American Journeys Wisconsin Historical Society
http://www.americanjourneys.org/

American Journeys contains more than 18,000 pages of eyewitness accounts of North American exploration, from the sagas
of Vikings in Canada in AD1000 to the diaries of mountain men in the Rockies 800 years later.

Apishapa Valley Historical Society

HISTORY

http://www.aguilarhistory.com/index.htm

Arvada Historical Society

http://www.arvadahistory.org/

✓COLorado Historical Society

http://www.coloradohistory.org/chs_library/research_coll_files/rc_maps.htm

They will be in the process of moving, so access to information may be limited in the coming months.

The collection consists of thousands of maps ranging in size from a few square inches to rolled railroad maps many yards
long. Maps cover Colorado and the Rocky Mountain West from the time of Spanish exploration to the present. In addition to
illustrating topography and location of natural features and towns, the maps cover many subjects such as:

• Bird's-eye view · historical sites

• Indian tribe locations over time · land grants
• Mines & mining claims · railroad routes
• Road systems · stage routes
• The Society's collection of Sanborn Insurance Atlases, available in microfilm format, include detailed views
of streets and buildings for many Colorado towns from the 1880s.

Colorado Historical Society Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/

The Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation creatively engages Coloradans and their guests in partnerships to
discover, preserve, and take pride in our architectural, archaeological, and other historic places by providing statewide
leadership and support to our partners in archaeology and historic preservation.

Land Surveys

Historical records of vegetation conditions are useful for establishing reference conditions since Euro-American
settlement. In 1785 Congress established the General Land Office and a rectangular system for surveying land.
A subsequent act of 1786 provided for the subdivision of townships into one-mile square sections. With the
publication of a guidebook in 1855, there was a standardized methodology for government-contracted surveyors.

The basic technique used trees at township, section, and quarter-section corners as references. Compass
bearings and distances from the corner to usually either two or four trees were recorded. The common name and
often the diameter of these "witness trees" or "bearing trees" also were noted, and the trees were marked with a
characteristic blaze. Particularly in later years, surveyors often were instructed to provide descriptions of forest
type, locations of streams and other landscape features, and the presence of major disturbances such as blow-
downs.

Although bias and even fraud are inherent in some land survey data, and absolute tree density, size, and species
importance values cannot be reliably calculated, these data are still of great value in characterizing vegetation at
the point in time when each survey was made.

Lin Smith 72
 MAP RESEARCH Colorado Historical Trails Railroad Records
http://www.coloradohistoricaltrails.com/ Colorado State Archives

This will be a paid membership access site to thousands of http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/rrs/

Historical Colorado (1858 - 1926):
exhibits.htm
Postcards, newspaper articles, drawings, souvenirs, magazines,
journals, picture books, travel guides, census reports, stereoviews,
maps, poetry and many other miscellaneous documents and items.
This site is being developed. The National Archives
Special List 29: List of Selected Maps of States and
HISTORY

✓Colorado State Archives Territories

history links
http://archives.gov/publications/finding-aids/maps/
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/links.html co.html

http://archives.gov/publications/finding-aids/maps/
Early Mining in Northeastern Colorado ks.html
BLM Cultural Resources Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/
16/chap6.htm 125. Map of Colorado Territory, Compiled from Government Maps
& actual Surveys. Made in 1861.
126. Map of Colorado Territory, Embracing the Central Gold
Region.
127. Map of Public Surveys in Colorado Territory. [Map] to
Frontier Historical Society accompany report of the Sur. Gen., 1865.
http://www.glenwoodhistory.com/ The above list is only a portion of maps that are available.

Historic Trail Map PDF

Central Colorado USGS
Georgetown and Mount McClellan USGS Trail map text
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/
geology/publications/bul/707/trip1a.htm Great info on toll roads and stage routes.

Ghost Town Gallery Topographic Map Scales & the General

http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/
Land office Grid Utah GS
http://geology.utah.gov/surveynotes/gladasked/
gladtopo.htm
Links to State Mining Agencies
http://www.msha.gov/siteinf1.htm

Lin Smith 73
 MAP RESEARCH
Georgetown, Historic Georgetown, Inc.
http://www.historicgeorgetown.org/
Heritage West
http://www.bcr.org/dps/cdp/hw_search.html
Heritage West is a database that brings together thousands
HISTORY
of digital objects from the collections of museums,
libraries, historical societies and archives from throughout
the Western United States. Included in this database are
photos, documents, artifacts, costumes, diaries, oral
histories and manuscripts representing the West's cultural,
scientific and historic heritage.
Jefferson County Historical Society
http://jchscolorado.org/
Lakewood Historical Society
http://historiclakewood.org/
Larkspur Historical Society
http://www.larkspurhistoricalsociety.com/
Maps at the Park County site
http://parkcoarchives.org/index.html
There are a limited number of maps available on line.
MINING AND TRANSPORTATION,
1890-1920 Western Slope BLM Cultural
Resource Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/
cultresser/co/2/chap8.htm
There are a series of primitive maps which you can click
on to find early places areas, town sites, roads, etc.
Mining Since 1920 BLM Cultural
Resource Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/
cultresser/co/12/chap11.htm
Lin Smith
Northwestern Colorado Exploration BLM
Cultural Resource Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/
cultresser/co/2/chap4.htm
Old Colorado City Historical Society
http://history.oldcolo.com/
Historical page about Colorado City, El Paso County, and
some Colorado Springs. Great old maps, including some
railroad and mining maps. Old Colorado City Historical
Society's History Center is open Tuesday through Saturday
from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 1:00 to 4PM Sundays in July
and August. Admission is free.
One Day Trips from Denver USGS
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/
geology/publications/bul/707/contents.htm
Don’t forget to go to the bottom of the page and check out
the maps and drawings as well as photos
Palmer Lake Historical Society
http://www.ci.palmer-lake.co.us/plhs/index.shtml
Parker Area Historical Society
http://www.parkerhistory.org/
Park County
http://parkcoarchives.org/index.html
The Park County Local History Archives Offers a safe
storage and maintenance location for: Photographs,
manuscripts, maps, books, newspapers, governmental
minutes, public records, letters, documents, cemetery
records, church records, oral histories, many more
historically significant items.
Pikeʼs Peak Gold Rush and After BLM
Cultural Resource Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/
co/16/chap3.htm
Pueblo County Historical Society
http://www.pueblohistory.org/
74
 MAP RESEARCH BLM MINING CLAIM DATABASE

BLM is the official land and mineral ownership record-
keeping agency for the Federal government. In
accordance with the Federal Land Policy and
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), all unpatented
mining claims are required to be recorded at the
appropriate BLM state office. When a mining claim
location notice is received by a BLM state office, each
claim is assigned a unique BLM serial number. BLM
HISTORY
The MCRS database includes information on all mining
claims located on public lands administered by the BLM
or the U.S. Forest Service (USFS). Mining claim
locations in the following fifteen states are included in the
MCRS database: Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah,
Washington, and Wyoming.

maintains a cumulative computer listing by

township, range, and section of all mining claims
recorded since 1976. This computer listing is known as
the "Mining Claim Recordation System” (MCRS).

San Juan County Historical Society Silverton

http://www.silvertonhistoricsociety.org/

Southeast Colorado INTO MATURITY, 1880-1900 BLM Cultural Resources Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/17/chap10.htm

Southeast Colorado A Period of Transition Into the 1870ʻs BLM Cultural Resources Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/17/chap8.htm

Southeast Colorado A Time of Building, 1870-1880 BLM Cultural Resources Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/17/chap9.htm

Southeast Colorado Into Maturity, 1880-1900 BLM Cultural Resources Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/co/17/chap10.htm

A Survey of the Recreational Resources of the Colorado River Basin National Park Service
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/colorado/foreword.htm
This extensive article details geological features in the area. A discussion of the river and its tributaries and formation is
included.

The Natural Backdrop and Spanish Exploration BLM Cultural Resource Series
http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/cultresser/co/12/chap1.htm

The Stockmenʼs Frontier, 1880-1920 BLM Cultural Resource Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/cultresser/co/12/chap6.htm

The Transportation Frontier in West-Central Colorado BLM Cultural Resource Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/cultresser/co/12/chap5.htm

Lin Smith 75
 MAP RESEARCH
HISTORY

Gold dredge Jack Rabbit Spring.

Moffat County, Colorado. 1912.
USGS ID. Hancock, E.T. 113
het00113

National Park Service History and Culture

http://www.nps.gov/history/

USGS Using Maps in Genealogy

http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/factsheets/fs09902.html

US Genealogy Map Project: State, County, Territory Maps

http://usgenmap.rootsweb.ancestry.com/usgenmap.htm

Virtual Museum of Surveying American Congress of Surveying and Mapping

http://www.acsm.net/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=480

An interesting site to explore if you want to understand more about the history of surveyors, surveys, and survey instruments.

Voices of The Colorado Plateau

http://archive.li.suu.edu/voices/voices.html

Offers more than 40 multimedia presentations featuring oral history excerpts and photographs that document aspects of life in
the Colorado Plateau—encompassing parts of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado—during the past half century.

West-central Colorado BLM Cultural Resource Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/cultresser/co/12/intro.htm

✔WEST CENTRAL COLORADO'S MINING FRONTIER BLM Cultural Resource Series

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/blm/cultresser/co/12/chap4.htm

Wichita State University Collection of Digitized Kansas Maps

http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/collections/maps/18611869.asp?offset=0

Lin Smith 76
 Historical Mining Map Discrepancies
MAP RESEARCH
By LIN SMITH
When examining historical mining maps you need to
take into consideration the motivation the cartographer
had to produce the map. There may be built in bias on a
MINING
map depending on its purpose. As discussed in the past,
the numerous handbooks that were produced during the
gold rushes frequently contained information by
individuals who had never explored the areas. Their
information was copied from other reports and by word
of mouth and not by any firsthand or scientific
information.
In “Geology and Ore Deposits of the Alma District,
Park County, Colorado” by Horace Bushnell Patton,
Arthur Joseph Hoskin, and Gurdon Montague Butler in
1912, discrepancies are pointed out. In preparing their
topographical map they were limited by time. “For this
reason, the territory covered has necessarily been
somewhat limited, and not all parts could be covered
with equal accuracy.” (pg. 14) “Owing to the limited
time available for the survey, it was necessary to choose
the boundaries of the area somewhat arbitrarily.” (pg. 16)
They felt that working above 14,000 feet and the rugged
topography also hindered them. On page 17 the author
states that in spite of the great ruggedness of the district
almost every part is accessible on horseback. Was it or
wasn’t it?
In some cases they used students to conduct parts of
the survey. They felt that their accuracy was sufficient
because it was checked by geologists. However, in the
same chapter the author is quoted as saying: “The
geologic mapping has been done by, or under the sole
direction of, the senior author. Wherever possible, he has
gone over the field in person. In some parts of the
territory mapped this has been impossible, and the
mapping done by student members of the party has been
accepted without full revision.” (pg. 15) One wonders if
it was impossible for the author why the students were
capable of doing the work.
Scale was an issue and detail was dependent upon
the actual size of the maps. There is frequent reference
to the limits placed upon them due to the small scale of
the map. The author states that due to financial reasons
the maps were published on a very small scale. Maps
were limited as to the amount of detail they were capable
of representing because of their size. At times it was
“impractical to show” all the formations. The smaller the
map the less details are presented. “These contours have
been prepared with considerable care, and in more cases
may be considered to be fairly accurate-subject, of
Lin Smith
course, to the limitations of the rather small scale on
which the map is published.” (pg. 18) Their map was
intended to represent the rock formations as they appear
on the surface, leading to some interpretation of reading
the geology that is underground.
“During the course of the field-work in connection
with this report, the writer found numerous discrepancies
between existing claim maps and the lines upon the
ground. The map herewith will not check absolutely with
any official maps, since it has been endeavored to make
this map represent real conditions. And while this has
been the aim, it is not presumed that all discrepancies
have been covered.” (pg. 21)
While they were able to show known public survey
markers they discovered that many corners and quarter-
corners were missing. There may have been numerous
reasons why section corners were scarce in mining
districts. Landslides, steep slopes, development of
wagon roads, and mine dumps are some of the reasons
why some markers may have been missing.
They do not attempt to determine latitude and
longitude because they did not have the appropriate
equipment so they used the average from several maps of
Colorado to determine latitude and longitude. If one
map is copied by others and contains mistakes they will
have been carried over and their accuracy needs to be
questioned.
The maps size limited the ability to show the names
of the claims and placers. Instead they included an index
to the mines and placers. If the map was removed from
the index then this information could have been lost.
The producers of this map used maps made by S.F.
Emmons feeling they were “very clear and satisfactory
description” but also stating: “that the maps are often at
fault in detail was, of course, to be expected, considering
the difficulties under which the survey was conducted,
and the all too short time at his disposal.”
Concerning the determination of elevation, they used
the average of many results showing the “proper”
elevation of Mount Lincoln to be 14,278 to the nearest
foot. By today’s standards of accuracy they fall short.
Today’s measurement is 14,286 feet. They felt that “the
two elevations thus obtained for a given station checked
within two feet-a degree of accuracy well within all
requirements.” (pg. 28)
77
 Historical Mining Map Discrepancies
MAP RESEARCH

BY LIN SMITH

Government was also at fault. “At times, during was not deemed advisable to make a map showing mere
the past few years, rulings have emanated from the locations; they are too numerous, and often too transitory,
General Land Office at Washington requiring patent to be given place upon a map that is already quite
surveys to be shown upon maps exactly as they were complicated and crowded.” (pg. 21)
MINING

originally reported, regardless of any subsequent
disclosures of error in the original surveys. Another
ridiculous ruling was to the effect that every claim must
be plotted upon the official maps solely according to its
tie to a section corner, no matter how erroneous this tie
may have been subsequently proved. Through the
application of such illogical rulings, almost irremediable
errors were incorporated into the official maps of many
mining districts. The office of each surveyor-general was
required to reconstruct relative positions of claims on the
ground under the untenable theory that maps must show,
not actualities on the ground, but the approved erroneous
notes appearing in the illogical rulings, almost
irremediable errors were incorporated into the official
maps of many mining districts. Such a theory will not
stand in law, but mischief was wrought in the official
records of the government offices, which should be
considered as highest authority.” (pg. 20-21)
Because numerous mining claims never had a patent
survey or were never given an official claim number they
were not represented on the map. Only mines that had
undergone a patent survey were shown. They prepared
the map without these “claims” with the excuse that “It
The map also represented the lines of the public
survey. Commenting that the section lines plotted well
the author also states: “that all such work was done by
contractors at prices far too low to warrant accurate
surveying.” (pg. 22)
Despite the excuses made in the introduction of this
bulletin there is a lot of information available for your
research. Survey numbers, name, section, township and
range are listed as well as claim names and their survey
numbers. There are also detailed descriptions of the
geology as interpreted by the surveyors at the time.
What does this all mean to the modern day
prospector? You need to approach your research with an
open mind. Just because a survey may have been done
by a government office does not mean it is accurate.
Time, scale, topography, experience, finances, attitudes,
past accuracy all play a part in the accuracy of mapping.
Bulletin 3, Geology and Ore Deposits of the Alma District,
Park County, Colorado, Horace B. Patton, Arthur J. Hoskin, G.
Montague Butler, Colorado State Geological Survey, Boulder,
Denver, Colorado, Smith-Brooks Printing Co., State Printers, 1912.

Main Author:   Colorado

State Geological Survey
Title/Description:   Map
Showing Geology of the
Alma District, Colorado  
Publication Info:  
Colorado State Geological
Survey, Bulletin 3, Plate 2,
1912  
Date:   1912  
Scale:   1:30,000

Lin Smith 78
 MAP RESEARCH
Abandoned Mines Colorado Division of
Reclamation, Mining and Safety
http://mining.state.co.us/Abandoned%20Mines.htm

Abandoned Mine Lands BLM National

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/
Abandoned_Mine_Lands.html
MINING

ASK a Geologist USGS

http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/ask-a-geologist/

Do you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes, Altman and Last Dollar mine from Battle Mountain. Direction
mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers? north. Panorama with photos 526 and 527. Cripple Creek Mining
District. Teller County, Colorado. October 7, 1903. USGS
ID. Ransome, F.L.  528 rfl00528
Bibliography of North American Mining History
http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/mhn/bibUSA.htmltensive list of literature on mining.

No links, but you have the basics to start a search.

✓BLM Rock Hounding, Gold Panning and Dredging Regulations for Colorado
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gjfo/mineral_material_sales/rock_hounding.html

BLM Code of Federal Register (CFR’S)

http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/more_programs/geographic_sciences/mineral_surveyor_program/
code_of_federal_register.html

• Locating Mining Claims 43 CFR 3830

• Locating Mining Claims 43 CFR 3832
• Recording Mining Claims and Sites 43 CFR 3833
• Required Fees for Mining Claims or Sites 43 CFR 3834
• Waivers From Annual Maintenance Fees 43 CFR 3835
• Annual Assessment Work Requirements for Mining Claims 43 CFR 3836
• Acquiring a Delinquent Co-Claimant's Interest in a Mining Claim or Site 43 CFR 3837
• Locating Mining Claims on Stockraising Homestead Act Lands 43 CFR 3838
Mineral Surveyor Program
* Mineral Survey Patent Moratorium
Effective October 1, 1994, Congress imposed a moratorium on spending appropriated funds for the
acceptance or processing of mineral patent applications that had not yet received First Half Final Certificate
(FHFC) or were not in Washington, D.C. for Secretarial review of FHFC on or before September 30, 1994.
Until the moratorium is lifted, the BLM will not accept any new applications.
* Who Can Stake a Claim
* Where Can Claims be Located
* Types of Claims
* State Requirements
* County Documents
* Other Associated Filings
* Stock Raising Homestead Act
* Patenting a Claim
* Surface Management

Lin Smith 79
 MAP RESEARCH BLM Locating a Mining Claim/Site
http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/minerals/describing_mining_claims.html

Before you can locate a claim, you must determine if the lands are open to mining.

BLM Mining Frequently Asked Questions

http://www.blm.gov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/minerals/mining_faqs.html
MINING

Bureau of Mines Publications and Journal Articles 1910-1996

http://www.ntis.gov/products/bom.aspx

The United States Bureau of Mines of the Department of the Interior was established in 1910 by the Department of the
Interior and abolished on March 30, 1996. NTIS maintains the entire collection of the Bureau's publications, some 5,000
documents. This page lists the printed indexes that are available to locate these publications as well as providing a search box
to locate publications in the NTIS collection. There is a cost for the publications.

Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center USGS

http://minerals.cr.usgs.gov/

The U.S. Geological Survey Central Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center (formerly the Central Mineral
Resources Team) conducts unbiased research on the occurrence, quality, quantity, and availability of mineral resources in
order to help the Nation make informed decisions using earth-science information.

Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining & Safety

http://mining.state.co.us/

This site provides information on the Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety, as well as many of the division's projects
and other related topics. These include DRMS reclamation projects, general tourist information, mine safety issues, coal and
mineral policies, forms, and links to very specific information in PDF format.

Colorado Geological Survey

http://geosurvey.state.co.us/.

Here you will find information about Colorado Geology: timescale, geological events, geologic mapping and more.
Downloadable data: base map, engineering geology and geologic hazards, environmental geology, geologic mapping,
mineral resources, publications and more.

History, Geology, and Environmental Setting of the Tweed Mine http://dnr.state.co.us/geostore/ProductInfo.aspx?

productid=OF01-11

✓Colorado State Archives Colorado Information & History Digital Archives-Original

Historical Records Scanned On-line
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/info.htm
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/digital/index.htm

• Digital Records available in mining limited number variety of minerals They have search, handling, and copy fees.
• Mining Strikes of 1903
• Laws of the Spanish Bar, Central and Eureka Mining Districts
• Mining Photos

Lin Smith 80
 MAP RESEARCH Colorado School of Mines Mine Reports
http://library.mines.edu/Mine_Reports

The Library's collection of mine reports numbers about 1,500 print folders, and 34 microfilm rolls originally from the Mine
Map Repository, Intermountain Field Operations Center (Denver), USBM. The collection consists of reports on specific mine
sites, primarily in Colorado and the western U.S., but with no geographic limits. It includes reports from the 1860s - early
1990s.

The print reports, stored in the Russell L. & Lyn Wood Mining History Archive, now include mine reports from other sources
as well. Physical condition ranges from good to very fragile. The original collection from the Mine Map Repository contains
MINING

overlap between the print and microfilm formats.

✓Colorado School of Mines Library

http://library.mines.edu/

Government Publications
The Arthur Lakes Library is a selective depository for U.S. Government publications and has received about 30% of
the items offered from the Government Printing Office since 1939. The collection consists of many types of formats
(paper, microfiche, DVD, CD, and other electronic formats) covering a wide range of subjects with extensive
collections of publications from many federal scientific and technical agencies. This collection is located on the
first floor.
The Library has been a depository for Colorado State government information since 1981.

Maps
The Map Collection has over 168,000 maps, and 6,300 books and atlases, with concentrations in topography,
geology, mining, mineral resources and petroleum. All the maps and atlases can be located using the Library
Catalog, and may be checked out. The jewels of the collection are the over 1,200 unique, mostly hand-drawn, mine
maps covering parts of Colorado and the Intermountain West and pertaining to either gold or silver.

Russell L. & Lyn Wood Mining History Archive

The Russell L. & Lyn Wood Mining History Archive was established in 1995 by former Mines Board of Trustees
member Russell L. Wood and his wife, Lyn. The Archive supports study and research into the history of mining,
with emphasis on the U.S. Rocky Mountain West, and the history of the Colorado School of Mines. Subjects include
mining engineering, mineral processing, metallurgy, environment, and aspects of the mining industry including
economics, commodities, transportation, law, education, labor, immigration and culture. The Archive is available to
the public by appointment.

Information Center for Ropeway Studies

The Information Center for Ropeway Studies (Ropeway Center) was established in 1991 and is the largest collection
of materials on the theory, operation and design of ropeway and tramway systems in the U.S. The collection
includes books, journals, manufacturers' catalogs, photographs, and artifacts on wire rope and ropeways.

Tell Ertl Oil Shale Repository

The Tell Ertl Oil Shale Repository was established in 1989 to house technical and non-technical materials relating to
oil shale and the development of the oil shale industry, particularly in the western United States.

The Images collections consist of photographs, slides, negatives, stereopticons, and lantern slides dating from the
1880s-present. Some images are associated with special collections such as the Russell L. & Lyn Wood Mining
History Archive and the Information Center for Ropeway Studies. Subjects include the Colorado School of Mines
(people, buildings, activities), historical mining scenes, industrial equipment, engineering, wire rope, and mineral
specimens.

Company Reports
The Company Reports collection includes corporate documents (annual reports, 10-Ks, brochures, etc.) from some
2,000 companies in the mining, energy, and extractive minerals industries. This collection is non-circulating and
onsite access is limited to Reference Desk hours.

Lin Smith 81
 MAP RESEARCH
Colorado School of Mines Locating Maps in the Govt. Pubs & Map Area
http://inside.mines.edu/LBGuide_Maps_Map_Room

The Map Collection has over 168,000 maps, 6,600 books and atlases, and 34,000 aerial photographs with concentrations in
topography, geology, mining, mineral resources and petroleum. The jewels of the collection are the over 1,200 unique,
mostly hand-drawn, mine maps covering parts of Colorado and the Intermountain West and pertaining to either gold or silver.
• Maps may be checked out according to the Library's policies.
• May maps be copied? Yes, the Library has several copiers on the 2nd level.
MINING

Colorado Spatial Reference Network

http://www.csrn.us/

Information about continuously operating Global Positioning System (GPS) reference stations and networks located
throughout the state.
This site is provided and maintained by the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado, Inc., a non-profit organization of
professional surveyors and mappers dedicated to the improvement of land surveying education and practice.

Digital Data Services Historical and out of print maps from the USGS
http://www.usgsquads.com/svcs_historic_maps.htm

This company does charge for its services, but if you are into a detailed search of a geological area in Colorado, perhaps this
will help you out. The services can be a bit pricey.

Geology.com
http://geology.com/body.htm

Reference maps, geology maps by state00,0 earth science records, , physical, elevation and river maps of Colorado in
addition to articles about NASA, volcanoes, rocks and minerals and new events.

Eureka
http://eurekamagazine.net/

The Site for Historic Mining Collectibles

GEOLEX Help Information Geologic Age Definitions USGS

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/Help/geodef.html

Table with information about the different geological formations.

Historic Mine Report Files Index c.1900 – 1980 Colorado State Archives
1313 Sherman Street, Room 1B20, The Centennial Building Denver, Colorado 80203
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/hmrfi/

This large collection of mining records from the Department of Natural Resources is organized alphabetically by county and
alphabetically by mine name. The collection is especially useful to those doing corporate research, mine histories, geological
work. Mine files consist of two types of reports: "Annual Operator Reports" and "Annual Inspector Information Reports."
Information found in these records may include name of mine, kind of operation, mine owner, insurance carrier, mine
operator, location of property, production for the year, labor statistics, geological formation, size of deposit/vein, and a
description of equipment and structures.

Lin Smith 82
 ✓Mine claim activity on Federal lands for the period 1976 through 2008
MAP RESEARCH

Mineral Resources On-line Spatial Data

http://tin.er.usgs.gov/mine-claim/

Numerical summary of mining claim activity on US Federal lands by section during the years 1976 through 2008 (through
2007 in Alaska). Compiled from data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.

✔Mining Claims Under the General Mining Laws

MINING

http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?
c=ecfr&sid=c2feb74bbed585f7de8411ac2c5cd587&rgn=div5&view=text&node=43:2.1.1.3.73&idno=43

Mining History Association

http://www.mininghistoryassociation.org/news.htm

The Mining History Association (MHA) is an organization of individuals interested in the history of mining and metallurgy.
Members include independent scholars, laypersons, college and university professors, historians, miners, geologists, retired
mining industry personnel, and many others. The MHA holds an annual meeting, publishes a scholarly journal and a
quarterly newsletter, and provides a forum for discussion of the history of mining.

Mining Industry in Colorado Colorado Historical Society

http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/programareas/register/1503/mps/mining.htm

Links to mines on the National Register in Colorado. In addition to links of all historic properties in Colorado

Mineral Resources On-line Spatial Data

http://mrdata.usgs.gov/

Interactive maps and downloadable data for regional and global Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Mineral Resources

National Mine Map Repository

http://mmr.osmre.gov/MultiPub.aspx

The National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) has recently added the capability for the public to search the index of all mine
maps in the collection.

National Geochemical Survey database USGS

http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geochem/ http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geochem/doc/home.htm

National-scale geochemical analysis of stream sediments and soils in the US, from existing data, reanalysis of existing
samples, and new sampling.

Menotomy maps
http://menotomymaps.com/Colorado_pan.asp

Blog, Panoramas, Detailed Old Maps, Railroads, Gold Claims, Old USGS Topos

Lin Smith 83
 MAP RESEARCH
Mining History Network
http://projects.exeter.ac.uk/mhn/welcome.html#ToC

Provides a forum for discussion and a number of links on mining including the United States and International.

Mineral Resources On-Line Spatial Data

http://mrdata.usgs.gov/

Interactive maps and downloadable data for regional and global Geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, and Mineral Resources
MINING

National Atlas. GOV

http://nationalatlas.gov/

Maps of America are what you'll find and make on nationalatlas.gov™. Maps that illustrate our changing Nation. Maps that
capture and depict the patterns, conditions, and trends of American life. Maps that supplement interesting articles. Maps that
tell their own stories. Maps that cover all the United States or just your area of interest. Maps that are accurate and reliable
from more than 20 Federal organizations. Maps about America's people, heritage, and resources. Maps that will help you,
your children, your colleagues, and your friends understand the United States and its place in the world.
The North American Environmental Atlas is intended for use by both environmental scientists and the citizens of the United
States, Canada, and Mexico.

✓National Geological Data Map Base

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/

Your Geoscience resource for maps and related data about: geology, hazards, earth resources, geophysics, geochemistry,
geochronology, paleontology, and marine geology.

✓National Map USGS

http://nationalmap.gov/

The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and
deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency
response. The National Map is easily accessible for display on the Web, as products and services, and as downloadable data.
The geographic information available from The National Map includes orthoimagery (aerial photographs), elevation,
geographic names, hydrography, boundaries, transportation, structures, and land cover. Other types of geographic
information can be added within the viewer or brought in with The National Map data into a Geographic Information System
to create specific types of maps or map views.
Moose mine and Raven Hill from southwest

Teller County, Colorado. October 7, 1903.

slope of Bull Hill. Cripple Creek District.

USGS ID. Ransome, F.L.  510 rfl00510

Lin Smith 84
 MAP RESEARCH National Map Beta Viewer and Download Platform
http://nationalmap.gov/viewers.html
The National Map includes several primary data viewers: the first viewer, The National Map Viewer, has the primary role of
viewing distributed data sets from many contributing Federal State and Local Partners through dynamic web map services.
The second viewer, The National Map Seamless Server, is the primary site for downloading USGS imagery, elevation and
land cover data.
MINING

National Mine Map Repository

http://mmr.osmre.gov/

The National Mine Map Repository (NMMR) has recently added the capability for the public to search the index of all mine
maps in the collection.

National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum Leadville, Colorado

http://www.leadville.com/miningmuseum/index.htm

NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/

The NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (NPG) is intended as a source of general industrial hygiene information on
several hundred chemicals/classes for workers, employers, and occupational health professionals.

✓Recreational Gold Prospecting on Public Land BLM

http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/info/browse/gold_panning.print.html

USGS Earth Explorer

http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/

USGS Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center

http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/rmgsc/

✓USGS A Tapestry of Time and Terrain Union of Two Maps Geology and Topography
http://tapestry.usgs.gov/Default.html

✓Western Museum of Mining and Industry

http://www.wmmi.org/

225 Northgate Blvd. Colorado Springs, CO 80921

Main: 719.488.0880 Toll Free: 800.752.6558

The mission of the Western Museum of Mining and Industry is to educate the public about the history and continuing
contributions of mining in the American West through its collection, restoration, exhibition and interpretation of artifacts
related to mining, metallurgy and their support industries. GPOC CURRENT MEMBERS ARE ADMITTED FREE.

Lin Smith 85
 MAP RESEARCH USGS Geologic Glossary
http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/misc/glossaryAtoC.html

USGS Geology in the Parks

http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/project/home.html
MINING

USGS Geologic Maps

http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/gmap/gmap1.html

USGS Geological Time

http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/gtime/gtime1.html

USGS Rocks
http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/rxmin/rock.html

USGS Rock Classification Chart

http://www.nature.nps.gov/GEOLOGY/usgsnps/rxmin/rockchart.html

Federal Resources for Educational Excellence

http://free.ed.gov/resource.cfm?resource_id=146

History of the American West, 1860-1920

Features 30,000 photos of Colorado towns and landscapes that document the role of mining in the history of Colorado and
the West. Photos of Native Americans from more than 40 tribes are included.

Helpful Resources You Might Look For

•Colorado State Board of Land Commissioners plats and mining claim information
http://trustlands.state.co.us/MapsandData/Pages/MapsAndData.aspx

•Bureau of Mines reference to mining maps Denver Public Library

•Colorado Land Office plats

•Photogrammetric Sec. USGS aerial photography 1” to 1000 feet showing mines.

•BLM index of all claims, mining maps and mining claim maps with bearings.

Lin Smith 86
 MAP RESEARCH Bureau of Land Management Survey Records
http://www.co.blm.gov/cadastral/records.htm

Colorado State Office

2850 Youngfield St.
Lakewood, CO 80215-7093
(303) 239-3600 FAX: (303) 239-3933 Hours: 7:45 - 4:15, M-F
Access: must examine onsite. Copy Purchase Prices: $1.10 per page; microfilm is available for purchase at $ .50 per sheet
COLORADO STATE

Colorado Country Formation Maps 1850

http://www.familyhistory101.com/maps/co_cf.html

Links to rotating animated maps showing all the county boundary changes & all the county boundaries for each census year
for each year overlaid with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries

Colorado Department of Natural Resources

http://dnr.state.co.us/

The Colorado Department of Natural Resources was created with a mission to develop, preserve and enhance the state's
natural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future citizens and visitors.

Colorado Department of Transportation Maps

http://www.dot.state.co.us/app_dtd_dataaccess/maps/index.cfm?fuseaction=mapsmain&menutype=maps

This page provides access to web-viewable maps. All the maps are Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. These files
require the Adobe Acrobat reader plug-in to be installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader versions 4.0 or 5.0 are required
for these pages to display correctly. City, County, Statewide, Traffic Volume and Travel Maps are available.

Colorado OHV Program

http://parks.state.co.us/OHVsandSnowmobiles/OHVProgram/Pages/OHVProgramHome.aspx

Off-highway vehicles must be registered with Colorado State Parks. Off-highway vehicles (OHVs) include motorcycles, dirt
bikes, three-wheelers, ATVs, and dune buggies that are operated on public land or trails in Colorado.
This site will give you information about registration, laws and regulations, where to ride, etc.

Colorado Spatial Reference Network

http://www.csrn.us/

Information about continuously operating Global Positioning System (GPS) reference stations and networks located
throughout the state. The CSRN is Colorado's premier clearinghouse for information about real time Global Navigation
Satellite System (GNSS) Reference Networks located throughout the state.
This site is provided and maintained by the Professional Land Surveyors of Colorado, Inc., a nonprofit organization of
professional surveyors and mappers dedicated to the improvement of land surveying education and practice.

Colorado State Archives

http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/muninc.html

The Colorado State Archives has custody of the incorporation records for most cities and towns covering the period 1871
through 1977. The more recent municipal incorporation records are housed at the Office of the Secretary of State. They
provide the researcher with genealogical and legal documentation. Municipal incorporation records may have plat and city
plan maps as well as charters. Furthermore, these records may include voting records and poll books, which provide the
names of those living in the prospective city and its founding citizens.

Lin Smith 87
 MAP RESEARCH Colorado State Archives Territorial Incorporations
http://www.colorado.gov/dpa/doit/archives/corps/terrcorp.htm

An alphabetical listing of the businesses that were incorporated in Colorado from 1861-1875. Articles of Incorporation were
filed through the Secretary of State's Office and through the Territorial Legislature. Records can thus be found in the
Secretary of State's Incorporation Books and in the Legislative Session Laws.

Colorado State Forest Service

http://www.csfs.colostate.edu/index.shtml/
COLORADO STATE

✓Colorado State Land Board

http://trustlands.state.co.us/MapsandData/Pages/MapsAndData.aspx
The State Land Board manages all of its parcel information in a Geographic Information System (GIS) and has data available
in several formats - pre-made pdf maps, raw gis data, and interactive map server.  Several summary statistic documents are
also posted here.

Colorado State Parks

http://parks.state.co.us/Pages/HomePage.aspx

Registration, location, OHV’s, Boating, Passes, and more.

Colorado State Tourism

http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CO-Portal/CXP/Page/1174084099735/1165693060239

Welcome to Colorado.gov, Colorado State government's official source for online services and information available to
tourists and individuals interested in experiencing Colorado.

Denver Regional Council of Governments

http://www.drcog.org/index.cfm?page=RegionalDataAndMaps

DRCOG produces a variety of information to support the planning and policy decisions that shape the region. Much of this
information is provided free of charge as long as DRCOG is cited as the source.

The map gallery includes PDFs of frequently requested maps. Use the green bar on the right to scroll through the gallery, and
click on the small images to view the full-sized PDF.

*TerraserverUSA: USGS DRGs and DOQQs, including high-resolution orthoimagery of

urban areas. Free Internet resource. Download using the ArcGIS Terraserver Toolbar for
full resolution. http://msrmaps.com
• Seamless Data Distribution System: From the USGS. Search and download National
Elevation Dataset, National Land Cover Dataset, High Resolution Orthoimagery, and
more. http://seamless.usgs.gov/
• Digital Line Graphs (DLGs), the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD), and many other
datasets produced by the USGS can be downloaded for free from the USGS web site:
http://edc.usgs.gov/geodata/
• National Atlas: Downloadable reference and thematic GIS data (plus interactive and
printable maps). http://www.nationalatlas.gov/
• National Map: High-quality current digital geographic data including topographic and
bathymetric map data, satellite and aerial photography, geographic names, land cover
data, hydrographic data, transportation data, and administrative data. Download free in
increments up to 100 Mb. http://nationalmap.gov/
• Colorado Geologic Map GIS data: ArcInfo format, 1:500,000 USGS OFR 92-507-A:
http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geology/state/state.php?state=CO

Lin Smith 88
 MAP RESEARCH Colorado Rockhounding
http://www.peaktopeak.com/colorado/index.php3

Shows the types of minerals that can be found in Colorado. Focus is on crystalized specimens, although non-crystalized
specimens are mentioned. By clicking on the map you can find the regions with their list of minerals, location and
counties.

Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Region GIS Data Library US

http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/gis/VG_Kiosk.shtml
COLORADO STATE

Data files are in compressed KML (KMZ) format.

GIS Data for Colorado

http://ucblibraries.colorado.edu/map/links/gis.htm#co

Large list with links to other sites.

Great Outdoors Colorado

http://www.goco.org/

Because of the remoteness of the gold regions in Colorado there was a lack of laws. To mitigate
misunderstandings and litigation the miners created “Mining Districts” as a form of miners government. The
districts were regulated by their own constitutions in addition to regulating the boundaries, size and
possession of mining claims creating “mining codes”. These varied from district to district. They were bound
by geographic features and mineral surveys. The boundaries were often poorly defined and overlapped.
With the development of land surveys and the organization of counties the mining districts lost their power.
With the creation of Jefferson Territory (Colorado Territory), done without the authorization of Congress, an
attempt was made to create a more uniform and stable government.

Districts came and went depending on their prosperity. Smaller districts were absorbed by larger ones,
names changed, and if a district was not profitable its boundaries and records were lost. District became a
term that was applied not only to the mining areas but also to a single mine, town, or geographic feature. It
can be confusing when you are researching records. You may find county archives a reliable resource. They
maintain records, writings and maps. By looking for production information, descriptions of history, dates of
production and amounts, and references to other sources such as the USGS or the Colorado Geological
Survey you may gain valuable information. If would probably not be to your best interests to pursue an area
which was productive for a short time or which had poor returns. Lin Smith

From 1901
“The General Land Office has recently issued an edition of its map of the United States for 1900. In general appearance it
differs little from former editions, but the scale has been changed slightly; and as the scale is not given, the reader will find
it necessary to determine it from the projection lines. Besides the ordinary recent information assembled upon the map, it
presents, by bold lines and lettering, the accessions of territory and the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition. These
seem scarcely in keeping with the character of the map, which is certainly not historical.

At the foot of the map are added, upon various scales, small maps or diagrams of our recent accessions of territory.
Among them appears " Pine Island," evidently intended for Isle of Pines. The addition of this island in this position in an
official map, as a possession of the United States, is a bit of unwisdom, as the implication carried with it cannot fail to
irritate our Cuban neighbours.”
From the Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, Vol. 33, 1901 American Geographical Society of New York

Lin Smith 89
 MAP RESEARCH National Archives Rocky Mountain Region
http://www.archives.gov/rocky-mountain/index.html

Telephone: (303) 407-5740 (303) 407-5751

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 25307
Denver, Colorado 80225
Location: Textual Research Room
Denver Federal Center Building 48
Hours: Monday - Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
COLORADO STATE

Closed all Federal Holidays

Located in Buildings 46 and 48 of the Denver Federal Center (DFC).

• The Center is a mile square campus located on the Southwest corner of 6th Avenue and Kipling Street.
• The main entrance is on the West side of Kipling, just north of Alameda Avenue.
• Visitors must present a picture identification card to the guard at the entrance to the Denver Federal Center.
• Visitors, their automobiles, and their belongings are subject to being scanned and searched.
• Visitor parking areas are northwest and east of Building 48.
• Building 48, the main building, is the last building on the right. Use the north entrance.
• Determine Which Building to Go To
• Building 46, for microfilm research, is directly behind and to the south of Building 48, at Fifth Street and Center
Avenue.

Archival holdings are composed of Federal records that date from the mid-1800s to the late 1900s received from
over 100 Federal agencies and courts.

The Rocky Mountain Region of the National Archives holds nearly 12,000 cubic feet of records from the Bureau of
Reclamation documenting such projects across the country. While their holdings are usually limited to the mountain
west states, headquarters for the Bureau of Reclamation are located in Denver thus providing their project and
administrative records from across the country.

U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

http://www.archives.gov/

As a center for historical and genealogical research, they have both an Archival and Microfilm Research Room.

They hold records created or received by nearly 80 Federal agencies and the Federal courts in:

Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, and other states

Affiliated Archives are public or nonprofit archives that hold — by written agreement with the National Archives — Federal
records owned by the National Archives.

State Records Center and Archives, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park

The Denver facility, has nearly 50,000 cubic feet of original archival records dating from 1847 to the 1990s.

•Paper documents, Photographs, maps, architectural drawings

Subjects covered include, but are not limited to:

•Homesteading, mining, Indian agencies, railroads, dam construction and other reclamation projects, national parks
and forests, naturalizations, the home front during World War II, proceedings of territorial courts

•Microfilm Publications-In addition to unique archival records, the Archives facility has a large collection of
National Archives microfilm publications.

•History, economics, public administration, political science, law, ethnology, genealogy, US diplomacy,
Revolutionary War, Civil War and Reconstruction, Native American-Government relations, Westward expansion,
World War II

Lin Smith 90
 MAP RESEARCH USDA Forest Service Roadless Area Conservation
http://fs.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsinternet/!ut/p/
c4/04_SB8K8xLLM9MSSzPy8xBz9CP0os3gDfxMDT8MwRydLA1cj72BTFzMTAwjQL8h2VAQAJp-nEg!!/?
ss=119930&navtype=BROWSEBYSUBJECT&cid=null&navid=111000000000000&pnavid=null&position=BROWS
EBYSUBJECT&ttype=roadmain&pname=Roadless-%20Colorado%20Roadless%20Rule

The proposed Colorado Roadless Rule is a regulation specific to Colorado that provides management direction for
approximately four million roadless acres of National Forest System lands in Colorado. A roadless area is generally
undeveloped land that is at least 5,000 acres in size or is adjacent to congressionally–designated Wilderness. The proposed
COLORADO STATE

rule does two things: 1) establishes Colorado roadless areas by accurately identifying areas with roadless character and 2)
provides prohibitions on road–construction and tree–cutting in those roadless areas.

The following is an excerpt from this web site. Research this site and you may find new areas to gold pan.

Silverheels #39 (7,500 acres)

1. Description

The Silverheels CRA is located in the Pike National Forest, South Park Ranger District, in Park County. This CRA is located
north of the Town of Fairplay, on the East side of Hoosier Ridge and the Continental Divide. The dominate landscape
features are Mount Silverheels (13,822 feet) rising from the center of the CRA, and Palmer Peak (12,517 feet) in the
Southeast corner. The western boundary follows the East side of the Beaver Creek drainage and Beaver Creek, as well as the
boundary of a parcel of private land. The southern boundary stretches east from Beaver Creek above old timber harvest units
and roads within the Crooked Creek drainage, to Trout Creek. The eastern boundary follows Trout Creek and NFSR 194
north to a private land boundary in the headwaters of Tarryall Creek. The entire northern boundary follows adjacent private
land consisting of many patented mining claims, within Montgomery Gulch. Access to the CRA is possible via NFSR 659
(Beaver Creek Road) to the East or NFSR 194 (Trout Creek Road) to the west. The CRA is within the Northern Parks and
Ranges Eco-Section (M331I). Elevations rise from roughly 10,500 feet in the Southeast corner to 13,822 feet at the top of
Mount Silverheels. Vegetation in the Northwest is alpine tundra in the higher elevations; more moderate elevations across the
South support spruce-fir, lodgepole and bristlecone pine, and aspen. Wetlands include examples of montane and subalpine
riparian areas and willow carrs.

2. Roadless Characteristics

The CRA is located within the Kenosha Pass LAU and contains suitable winter, denning, and movement habitat for the
federally threatened Canada lynx. The federally threatened plant Penland eutrema (Eutrema penlandii) is also found within
the CRA. The CRA also contains bighorn sheep, ptarmigan, and the Porter’s feathergrass (Ptilagrostis porteri), which are
listed as Forest Service sensitive species within the Rocky Mountain Region. The CRA is within the summer range of
bighorn sheep, moose, and mountain goat, and the summer and winter range of elk and mule deer. Habitat for black bear,
mountain lion, and ptarmigan is also located within the CRA. An elk calving area is located within the eastern portion of the
CRA. The western portion of the CRA is within a severe winter area for mule deer, while the central portion is within a
winter concentration area of this species. The CRA also contains a bighorn sheep summer concentration area.

The diverse mountain terrain provides a variety of recreation experiences from gold panning on
the boundary in Beaver Creek to hunting, fishing and hiking. Motorized recreation, including ATV, motorcycle and
snowmobile travel, takes place on roads, trails and old logging roads surrounding the CRA. Mount Silverheels is becoming a
popular high 13,000 foot peak for climbers and is accessed on non-system and cross-country routes from Hoosier Pass,
NFSR 659 (Beaver Creek Road) and NFSR 669 (Crooked Creek Road).
The CRA provides a multitude of recreation opportunities including off trail hiking, horseback riding, hunting, wildlife
viewing and opportunities for solitude. Many recreationists travel cross country to climb Mount Silverheels. There are no
system trails within this CRA. This CRA is within a state defined source water assessment area (municipal water supply).
Beaver Creek supplies municipal water for the town of Fairplay.

Lin Smith 91
 MAP RESEARCH
I have a map of the United States... Actual
size. It says, "Scale: 1 mile = 1 mile." I
spent last summer folding it. I also have a
full-size map of the world. I hardly ever
unroll it. People ask me where I live, and I
say, "E6."
-- Steven Wright
RETAIL

Map of the Internal

Provinces of New Spain, by
Zebulon Pike, 1807

Map Link
Art Source International Rare and Antique Map
Distributer http://store.maplink.com/
http://www.rare-maps.com/
MapQuest Map Store
Blue Monocle Maps http://www.mapquest.com/
http://bluemonocle.com/Maps/

MyTopo Map Pass Commercial

DeLorme Mapping http://map-pass.mytopo.com/
http://www.delorme.com/
National Geographic Map Store
Mapping, GPS, and Digital Data Technologies http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Digital Vector Maps Omni Resources

http://digital-vector-maps.com/ http://www.omnimap.com/

Powell's Books Maps Section

FEMA Map Service Center Flood
http://www.powells.com/psection/Maps.html
http://msc.fema.gov/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/
FemaWelcomeView?
storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1 Rand McNally & Co.
http://www.randmcnally.com/rmc/home.jsp
Garmin
http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us.
Universal Map
https://www.universalmap.com/
Hema Maps (Australia)
http://www.hemamaps.com.au/ USGS Survey Store
http://store.usgs.gov/b2c_usgs/b2c/start/
%28xcm=r3standardpitrex_prd%29/.do
International Travel Maps (Vancouver, B.C.)
http://www.itmb.com/

World of Maps (Ottawa, Ont.)

Latitudes Map and Travel Store http://www.worldofmaps.com/
http://www.latitudesmapstore.net/
Lin Smith 92
 MAP RESEARCH
TOURISM

EXPLORATION: U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories (Hayden Survey) Sheet number 9. Sketch
with watercolor (?) added, of rugged mountain peaks with snow. Colorado 1873. USGS
ID. Holmes, W.H. 74480009

Colorado Lore, Legend and Fact

http://www.ellensplace.net/hcg_fac.html

Colorado Vacation Directory

http://www.colorado-directory.com/maps/

Colorado State Parks, Colorado Map ,Colorado Scenic Byways, Colorado Map,Colorado Rafting

The Historical Marker Data Base

http://www.hmdb.org/

This website is an illustrated searchable online catalog of historical information viewed through the filter of roadside and
other permanent outdoor markers, monuments, and plaques. It contains photographs, inscription transcriptions, marker
locations, maps, additional information and commentary, and links to more information. Anyone can add new markers to the
database and update existing marker pages with new photographs, links, information and commentary.

Tourist Mine Links Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining & Safety

http://mining.state.co.us/Tourist%20Mine%20Links.htm

The Official Site of Colorado Tourism

http://www.colorado.com/MyColoradoMap.aspx

This is another commercial site, but perhaps you will gain some information about current events and weather conditions.
They also have an interactive Google map of the state of Colorado which you can access for free.

Use Colorado.com to find visitor information on things to see and do across the state. Complete with travel-planning tools,
articles, information on cities and towns, Colorado State maps, itineraries and more, Colorado.com is your one-stop vacation
planner. Order the free Official State Vacation Guide for trip ideas and to find out what’s now, timeless and surprising about
traveling in Colorado.

Lin Smith 93
 Colorado
MAP RESEARCH

Mining and mineral Libraries of local historical

museums groups or museums can be
useful resources. They
Denver Museum of Nature may have old city and
and Science business directories; old
http://www.dmnh.org/ city, county, and regional
2001 Colorado Blvd., Denver atlases or maps; and old
(303) 322-7009 newspapers.
MINING AND MINERAL MUSEUMS TOURISM

Western Museum of
Mining and Industry
http://www.wmmi.org/ Colorado Division of
1025 Northgate Road, Colorado Reclamation Mining &
Springs Safety Mines and
(719) 488-0880 or
Museums
1-800-752-6558
http://mining.state.co.us/Tourist
%20Mines.htm

The National Mining Hall

photo by Lin Smith
of Fame & Museum
http://www.leadville.com/ Lowell Thomas Museum Ouray County Historical
miningmuseum/ http://www.victorcolorado.com/ Society and Museum
120 W 9th, Leadville museum.htm http://
3rd and Victor Avenue, Victor www.ouraycountyhistoricalsociety.org
(719) 486-1229
/
420 Sixth Street, Ouray
Nederland Historical Society (970) 325-4576
Gilpin County Historical
and Museum
Society and Museum
http://www.nederlandmuseums.org/ Walsenburg Mining Museum
http://www.gilpinhistory.org/
http://www.spanishpeakscountry.com/
228 High Street, Central City 4th and Bridge Streets, Nederland, WalsenburgMiningMuseum.aspx
Boulder County
(303) 582-5283 112 W 5th Street, Walsenburg
(303) 285-3575
(719) 738-1992

photo by Lin Smith

Colorado School of
Mines The main floor exhibits feature
Geology Museum specimens from many Colorado mining
districts, other global localities and an
http://www.mines.edu/academic/ introductory video on area geology. The
geology/museum/ Special Exhibit Room hosts prominent
Location: General Research Laboratory precious metal and invited displays. The
(GRL) building, 1310 Maple St., Golden, main gallery also features historic
CO 80401 mining murals by Irwin Hoffman.

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 Excellent gold nugget collection in the

Mining Cart outside of Colorado School of
Mines Geology Museum
a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Arthur Lakes Library.
Closed certain legal and school holidays.
Evaluation of specimens is performed
Phone: (303) 273-3823 between 10 a.m. and noon, Tuesdays

Lin Smith 94
 Colorado Mine
MAP RESEARCH
Tours
The mine tours in Colorado are
usually seasonal. You need to call ahead
to confirm the mine schedules. Not all
the tours are at a gold mine, but you can
learn about mining in Colorado.
MINING TOURISM

Argo Gold Mine and Mill

2317 Riverside
Idaho Springs, Colorado 80452
(303) 567 2421
http://www.historicargotours.com/

Bachelor Syracuse Mine (tour) photos by Lin Smith

1222 County Rd. 14
Ouray, CO 81427 Creede Underground Mining Edgar Mine
(970) 325-0220 or 888-227-4565 Museum Colorado Avenue & 8th Street
http://bachelorsyracusemine.com/ Forest Service Road 503, No. 9 Idaho Springs, CO 80452
Willow Creek Canyon (303) 567-2911
Creede, CO 81132 http://www.mines.edu/EdgarMine
Carbonate Mine (719) 658-0811
Iowa Milling Co., Breckenridge, CO http://www.museumtrail.org/
80424 CreedeUndergroundMiningMuseum.
http://www.carbonatemine.com/ asp Hard Tack Mine
Hanson Creek and Engineer Pass Road
Lake City, CO 81235
Country Boy Mine Cripple Creek & Victor Gold (970) 944-2506
542 French Gulch Road Mining Company http://hardtack81235.tripod.com/
Breckenridge,CO http://ccvgoldmining.com/
(970) 453-4405
http://www.countryboymine.com/

Historical
Atlases
These are an atlas that may include
maps, photographs and articles.
A Genealogical and Historical
Atlas of the United States of
America, Everton Publishers, Logan,
Utah, 1976.
Atlas of American History: Charles
Scribner’s Sons, New York, 1943.
Historical Atlas of the American West, of Southeastern United States of
Warren A. Beck and Ynez D. Haase, U.
of Oklahoma Press, 1989.
photo by Lin Smith
Historical U.S. County Outline
Map Collection 1840-1980:
Department of Geography, University of
Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore,
MD 1984.
Township Atlas of the United
States: Audroit Associated, McLean,
Va., 1979.
A Series of County Outline maps
the Period 1790-1980: Department
of Geography, University of North
Carolina, 1973.

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 MAP RESEARCH
MINING TOURISM

photos by Lin Smith

Mine Tours Phoenix Mine Smuggler Mine/Compromise

Trail Creek Rd. Mine
Idaho Springs, CO 80452 110 Smuggler Mt. Road
Hidee Gold Mine (303) 567-0422 Aspen, CO 81611
County Rd. 6 http://www.phoenixgoldmine.com./ 970-925-2049 or 970-925-3688
Central City/Blackhawk, CO http://www.allaspen.com/attractions/
(303) 989-2861 smuggler_mine.php
http://www.cccmma.com/hidee/ Matchless Mine
hidee.htm 414 W 7th Street, Leadville
(719) 486-3900 Trapper Mine
http://www.matchlessmine.com/ Surface Coal Mine
Lebanon Mine and Georgetown Highway 13, six miles south of Craig
Loop Railroad 970-824-4401
Georgetown
(303) 569 2403 Mayflower Mill
http://www.georgetownlooprr.com/ Hwy 110 and Country Road 2 Washington Mine and Lomax
about_us/history.shtml Silverton, CO Tour
970-387-0294 465 Illinois Gulch Rd.
http://www.silvertonhistoricsociety.org/ Breckenridge, CO
index_files/page0013.htm 970-453-9022
Lomax Placer
301 Ski Hill Rd.
Breckenridge, CO Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine
970-453-9022 Cripple Creek
http://www.breckheritage.com/lomax- (719) 689 2466
placer-mine http://www.goldminetours.com/

Old Hundred Gold Mine

Lost Mine 721 County Rd. 4A
1147 E. Street Silverton, CO 81433
Salida, CO 81201 (970) 387-5444 or 1-800-872-3009
719-221-6463 or 619-7786
http://salida.com/lostmine/ http://www.minetour.com/

Lin Smith 96
 MAP RESEARCH U.S. Geological Survey maps:

In 1879, the USGS's new library began to accumulate its holding of topographic and many other kinds of maps of the United
States and its territories.

Copies of maps from the USGS library can be ordered as photographic enlargements from microfilm or out-of-print maps of the
United States, its territories, and outlying areas. Scales of copies are not exact. http://ask.usgs.gov/sils_index.html

To order a photocopy of a map in the Survey's library, contact any Earth Science Information Center or call 1-888-ASK-USGS
HINTS

and describe the kind of map you are seeking as completely as you can.

You can order current USGS maps directly from the Survey or from a local map dealer.

The USGS publishes and updates the following maps:

• More than 55,000 large-scale topographic maps (1:24,000, 1:25,000 and 1:20,000 for Puerto Rico) that together show
most local areas of the United States and its territories, with the exception of Alaska's 2,400 maps at 1:63,360. Each
map names and shows in fairly rich detail every settled area and other features within the map's boundaries.

• Topographic maps of selected counties at scales of 1:50,000 or 1:100,000.

You can purchase these and other USGS maps from the USGS or a local map dealer.

For each State, the USGS publishes an Index to Topographic and Other Map Coverage and (State) Catalog of Topographic and
other Published Maps (all scales). To obtain a free index and catalog for one or more States, contact any Earth Science
Information Center or call 1-888-ASK-USGS.

Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress

This Division holds and has direct access to almost 4 million maps, 51,000 atlases, 8,000 reference works, and a large number
of related materials in other formats.

The Division draws on these vast resources to provide cartographic and geographic information to Federal and local
governments, the scholarly community, and the public. No single catalog includes the Division's total holdings, but card and
book catalogs provide access to its collections.

The atlas collection includes representative volumes of all significant publishers of atlases over the past five centuries. The
atlases cover individual continents, countries, states, counties, cities and other geographic regions, as well as the world. They
range in scope from general to topical.

Of major interest to genealogists are land ownership records kept by Federal, State, county, and local government agencies. A
good source for early county maps is Land Ownership Maps: A Checklist of Nineteenth Century United States County Maps in
the Library of Congress, 1967.

Old and new large- and small-scale planimetric, topographic, and other kinds of maps are available for every part of the United
States and for most other areas of the world.

Among the many county maps and city and town plans are some 700,000 large-scale Sanborn fire insurance maps. Since 1867,
the firm has issued and periodically updated detailed plans of 12,000 U.S. cities and towns. Some areas are represented by as
many as eight different editions. This collection is an unrivaled cartographic and historic record of America's urban settlement
and growth over more than a century.

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 MAP RESEARCH The Library of Congress

•The Library of Congress serves as the research arm of Congress and is recognized as the national library of the
United States. It is the world's largest library and a great resource to scholars and researchers.

•In the Geography and Map Division Reading Room of the Library of Congress, researchers can find the largest and
most comprehensive cartographic collection in the world, including more than 4.5 million maps and 60,000 atlases,
as well as a large number of cartographic materials in other formats.
HINTS

•The following publication, which can be viewed online, is useful for conducting historical map research through
the Library of Congress:

•Library of Congress Geography and Maps: An Illustrated Guide lcweb.loc.gov/rr/geomap/guide

•The Geography and Map Division will provide a reasonable amount of basic information about materials in its
collection and will serve as the library of last resort for research questions when local resources have been
exhausted. Requests should be directed to:

•The Geography and Map Division

Library of Congress James Madison Memorial Bldg.
101 Independence Ave., S.E. Washington, DC 20540-4650
E-mail: maps@loc.govlcweb.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/

U.S. Geological Survey

• The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), established in 1879, has a large number of historical topographic maps dating
back to 1879. Recognizing the value of the information contained in older maps, the USGS preserves out-of-print
maps on microfilm. In this way, the USGS can limit its vast inventory to the most current maps and still provide
copies of older maps.

• These out-of-print maps are available for purchase as black-and-white photographic paper reproductions. Although
more expensive, the precision of the photographic enlargement procedure results in higher quality prints than
electrostatic paper reproductions. However, the sharpness of the reproduction depends on the condition of the
original map. Also, because photographic paper is sensitive to light and will eventually fade, such reproductions
should not be subjected to bright light for extended periods of time.

• Ordering Instructions: If your are interested in obtaining a reproduction of a particular map from the
USGS, you can send a research inquiry to:

ESIC-Reston 507 National Center Reston, VA 20192

Telephone: 703-648-6045 Fax: 703-648-5548

Your letter of inquiry should give as much information as possible, including the State, county, and town or township; year of
interest or range of years; as well as the type of information you are seeking on the map; for example, streams and rivers,
railroad lines, roads, or cultural features. A researcher will then be able to determine if any maps in the USGS historical
collections will suit your needs. The reproductions are approximately 24 by 30 inches.

Refer to the USGS Maps Price List (stock number 76-0001) for the most recent prices.

Additional Information

For information on these and other USGS products and services, call 1-888-ASK-USGS, or visit the general interest
publications Web site on mapping, geography, and related topics at erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/pubslists/.

For additional information, visit the ask.usgs.gov Web site or the USGS home page at www.usgs.gov.

Lin Smith 98
 MAP RESEARCH Researching Historical Maps

• Because different types of historical maps are stored in different collections, they can be difficult to research.
However, with a little perseverance, you can find a map that will suit your needs. There are many sources to
investigate, ranging from local libraries and historical societies, to State and Federal Government agencies.

• The best place to begin research is at a local public or college library. As a first step, you may want to consider
locating some of the following books, all of which are good sources of information for the map hunter:
HINTS

• Map Collections in the United States and Canada: A Directory (compiled by David K. Carrington and Richard W.
Stephenson)

• Antique Map Reproductions: A Directory of Publishers & Distributors of Antique Map, Atlas & Globe Facsimiles &
Reproductions (edited by Gregory C. McIntosh)

• Guide to U.S. Map Resources (edited by David A. Cobb)

• Mill sites can indicate an active mining past, but be leary as many a mine was abandoned soon after production
started. They may have been created only for speculation.

The National Archives

• National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), the official repository of the permanently valuable records
made or accumulated by the U.S. Government, is responsible for preserving those records and making them
available to the public, government officials, and scholars. Among the records in the Cartographic and Architectural
Branch of the NARA, are more than 2 million maps produced by the Federal Government since 1774.

• NARA's holdings relate primarily to official functions of the Federal Government, and records are arranged by the
Federal offices that created or accumulated them. Maps that predate the Federal Government and 19th-century maps
of areas outside the United States are rare among the Cartographic and Architectural Branch holdings.

• The following publications, which can be viewed online, may prove useful in conducting historical map research
through NARA:
Camp study. Hayden, Stevenson, Holman, Jones,
Gardner, Whitney, and Holmes. The party that
General Information Leaflet No. 26
made the first ascent of the Holy Cross Mountain.
Cartographic and Architectural Records
These men were together only on 1873
www.archives.gov/publications/general-info-leaflets/26.html
expedition. 1873. ID. Jackson, W.H.  490
Special List No. 29 jwh00490 USGS
List of Selected Maps of States and Territories
www.archives.gov/publications/finding-aids/maps/

To request a search of the maps and charts,

researchers need to provide NARA with
a subject, geographic area, and time period.
Requests should be addressed to:

Cartographic and Architectural Branch

National Archives
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Telephone: 301-713-7040

Lin Smith 99
 MAP RESEARCH The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) safeguards records on which the people of
a democracy depend for the continuity, accountability, and credibility of their national institutions.
NARA is the official repository of the permanently valuable records made or accumulated by the U.S.
Government and is responsible for preserving those records and making them available to the general
public, government officials, and scholars. NARA enables people to inspect for themselves the record of
what government has done. It enables officials and agencies to review their actions and helps citizens
hold them accountable. NARA ensures continuing access to essential evidence that documents the rights
of American citizens, the actions of Federal officials, and the national experience.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES HINTS

Among the records in the Cartographic and Architectural Section (NWCSC) are over 15 million maps,
charts, aerial photographs, architectural drawings, patents, and ships plans, constituting one of the
world's largest accumulations of such documents. These holdings are arranged in 190 record groups,
which reflect the origins of the records in specific federal departments and agencies. Some of the more
significant holdings, grouped under the general functions or subject areas associated with their creation,
are described below. In appropriate contexts, record group numbers have been added in parentheses to
facilitate reference to the specific NARA holdings under discussion.

Mapping

Exploration and Scientific Surveys

The Lewis and Clark Expedition was the earliest, and in many ways the most significant, of the great
government-sponsored expeditions. There were many other expeditions, however, and each made its
contribution to filling in the map of the West or providing information about overseas areas considered
vital to the interests of the United States. The files of the Office of the Chief of Engineers in Record
Group (RG) 77 and the Archives File of the Hydrographic Office (RG 37) contain the most important
collections of Federal explorers' maps, many of which made major contributions to geographic
knowledge.

Prominent among Federal explorers who continued the work of Lewis and Clark were Zebulon M. Pike,
Stephen H. Long, Joseph N. Nicollet, B.L.E. Bonneville, Charles Wilkes, John Rodgers, John C.
Fremont, and Gouverneur K. Warren. During the two decades before the Civil War, Fremont and
Warren, members of the Corps of Topographical Engineers, led expeditions that resulted in mapping
much of the western part of the United States. After the Civil War, increasingly complex surveying and
mapping projects were carried out by field parties under the supervision of Ferdinand V. Hayden,
Clarence King, George M. Wheeler, and John Wesley Powell. The end of the era of preliminary
exploration of the United States was symbolized by the establishment in 1879 of the U.S. Geological
Survey as the government's central mapping agency.

Public Land Surveys and Settlement

During the period 1785-87, the Seven Ranges of Ohio became the first tract of public land surveyed
under the new rectangular land survey system. This system, which was institutionalized in 1812 by the
establishment of the General Land Office, has been of immense importance in shaping the cultural
landscape of the public domain lands that lie outside of the Thirteen Original States, Kentucky,
Tennessee, and Texas. The surveys produced a large body of township plats and field notes, records that
have great geographical, historical, and legal value. Presently there are township plats and field notes for
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Alabama, Mississippi, Wisconsin, and parts of several
other States. Other records of the General Land Office and its successor, the Bureau of Land
Management (RG 49), include general state maps; plats of private land claims, mineral claims, and
townsites and maps showing rights-of-way for transportation and communication lines.

Lin Smith 100

 MAP RESEARCH Indian Affairs

Maps showing information about the Indians of the United States can be found among the records of
many agencies, but the largest concentration is the central map file of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (RG
75). This body of over 16,000 maps, covering the period 1800-1939, includes items pertaining to Indian
treaties, removal policy, reservations, settlements, and land use. Because of the vast extent of the Indian
lands and the great variety of maps compiled or used by the Bureau, this file also contains much
incidental information about other aspects of the physical, cultural, and historical geography of the
United States.
NATIONAL ARCHIVES HINTS

Hydrography and Navigation

Among the cartographic records are thousands of nautical charts of the U.S. coastline published by the
former Coast and Geodetic Survey (RG 23) (now part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration) and charts of foreign waters published by the former Hydrographic Office (superseded
by the Naval Oceanographic Office and the Defense Mapping Agency). These published nautical chart
series span the period from the 1840s to the present. The Hydrographic Office records (RG 37) include
original nineteenth-century manuscript survey sheets of the coasts of Mexico, Central America, and
islands in the Caribbean and the Pacific Ocean.

Topography and Natural Resources

A large body of cartographic records pertains to the topography of the United States and the
conservation and development of its natural resources. One of the most frequently used series dates from
the establishment of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1879 and consists of that agency's topographic
quadrangle maps covering virtually the entire country (RG 57). Other maps from the U.S. Geological
Survey relate to the classification of public lands and to investigations of geological, mineral, and water
resources. Several thousand county and regional soil classification and soil erosion maps have been
produced since 1900 by the Soil Conservation Service and its predecessors (RG 114). Since its inception
in 1881, the Forest Service has produced numerous maps relating to national forests and timber and
range management (RG 95). The National Park Service (RG 79) created maps of all the national parks
and monuments, including many in the vicinity of the District of Columbia. Other map files relating to
natural resources are among the records of the U.S. Bureau of Mines (RG 70), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (RG 22), the Bureau of Reclamation (RG 115), the Bureau of Agricultural Economics (RG 83),
and the National Resources Planning Board (RG 187).

Reference Services

Maps and Plans

It is important to remember that NARA's holdings relate primarily to official functions of the federal
government and that records are arranged by the federal offices that created or accumulated them. Maps
that predate the federal government and nineteenth-century maps of areas outside the United States are
rare among the Cartographic and Architectural Section (NWCSC) holdings.

In order to request a search of the maps and charts, researchers need to provide NWCSC with a subject,
geographic area, and time period. In order to request a search of the architectural or engineering
drawings, one must provide the Section with the name of the structure or equipment as well as its
location and time period of use. Please bear in mind that the Section's architectural and engineering
drawings relate almost exclusively to structures and equipment built by or for the federal government.

Lin Smith 101

 MAP RESEARCH
ACME Mapper 2.0
http://mapper.acme.com/about.html

This is a high-precision general

purpose mapping application, based
on Google Maps with a bunch of
things added on.
INTERACTIVE MAPS

Exploring Florida Maps

http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/

The Exploring Florida Maps collection

contains approximately 6,000 historic
and contemporary Florida maps that
support all subject areas in the K-12
classroom. A friendly license allows
teachers and students to use up to 25
maps in non-commercial school
projects without further permission. All
maps are available as GIF or JPEG files
for screen display as well as in PDF for
printing. Use the GIF or JPEG maps for
classroom presentations and student
websites.
Use the PDF maps for displays, bulletin
boards, and printed school reports.
Many of the maps include interactive
jigsaw puzzles and special KMZ files,
which allow you to place the historic
map as an overlay on Google Earth.
Map of the Route to Kansas Gold Mines
John J. Pratt & Hunt, 1859
Harvard Geospatial Library This site facilitates full color mapping
of world to street level geography.
http://dixon.hul.harvard.edu:8080/
Users can also view and print historical
HGL/hgl.jsp
and atlas maps, flags, facts, and even
portions of Mars.
The Harvard Geospatial Library offers
search tools for finding geographic data,
GIS data for download, and on-line US Census Bureau
geographic data exploration tools. American Fact Finder
http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/
main.html?_lang=en
National Geographic Map
Machine Here users can produce basic thematic
maps using 2000 US Census data. Users
http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/ can also download the tabular
map-machine information or map image.

Coordinates Articles are divided into two groups.

http://www.stonybrook.edu/libmap/
coordinates.htm
COORDINATES is an online serial
publication. Contributions are published
irregularly in the order received. They
seek articles on a wide range of subjects
relating to maps and GIS. Their target
audience is primarily users and curators
of maps. Appropriate subjects for articles
include map and GIS librarianship,
history of cartography, map cataloging
and bibliography, map reading and
Map of the Route to Kansas Gold Mines
interpretation, new developments in
John J. Pratt & Hunt, 1859
online mapping, and other subjects of
interest to a broad spectrum of
cartographically literate readers.
"Series A" consists of original, peer-
reviewed articles. "Series B" includes
essays and other shorter pieces, technical
notes, previously published articles, and
other materials of interest to our
audience.
They aim to take full advantage of the
capabilities on the Internet. This is an
"open access" publication, which is
freely available to anyone who has
access to the World Wide Web.
This publication is produced by the Map
and Geography Round Table (MAGERT)
of the American Library Association.
However, they encourage submissions
from all interested people.

Lin Smith 102

 MAP RESEARCH US Government Mapping Sites

Bureau of the Census - http://www.census.gov/

Center for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics - http://www.cdc.gov/
Center for Disease Control, National Center for Injury Prevention & Control Injury Maps
Department of Agriculture Geospatial Data Gateway - http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov/
Environmental Protection Agency - http://www.epa.gov/
EROS Data Center - http://eros.usgs.gov/
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) - http://www.fema.gov/
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

National Institute of Justice Mapping & Analysis for Public Safety (formerly the Crime Mapping Research
Center) - http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/maps/
National Geodetic Survey - http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/
National Geophysical Data Center - http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/topo/
National Geophysical Data Center-Magnetic Delincation http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/declination.shtml
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) - https://www1.nga.mil/Pages/Default.aspx
National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration - http://www.noaa.gov/
National Park Service GIS - http://www.nps.gov/gis/
NRCS Soil Survey - http://soils.usda.gov/
US Fish & Wildlife Service - http://www.fws.gov/
USGS Library - http://ask.usgs.gov/sils_index.html
USGS Natural Science Information - http://ask.usgs.gov/sils_index.html

Digital Maps and Geospatial Data

Advantages
• Can be dynamic
• Can be up-to-date
• Can be used by many patrons at a time
• Different storage issues
• Can be manipulated for analysis
• Cheap and faster to produce
• Accurate Directions
# Digital maps are equipped with real-time satellite data (global positioning system, or GPS), so
you are receiving the most accurate and current information.
Can be tailored to specific requirements
The digital data can be used in GIS applications
Disadvantages
• Difficult to find quickly
• Special equipment needed – high-speed internet, better computer, larger monitor, unable to access
in the field
• Questionable authority?
• Cannot view entire map on screen at once
• Difficult to print out other than 8.5 x 11

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS

An aerial photograph is any photograph taken from an airborne vehicle (aircraft, drones, balloons, satellites, and
so forth). The aerial photograph shows a real image of the ground surface and gives you an interpretation of
geology but it is a distorted image.

Lin Smith 103

 Aerial Photograph Comparison with Maps
MAP RESEARCH
A topographic map may be obsolete because it was compiled many years ago. A recent aerial photograph shows
any changes that have taken place since the map was made. For this reason, maps and aerial photographs
complement each other. More information can be gained by using the two together than by using them alone. You
need to remember that aerial photographs are not maps.

Advantages. An aerial photograph has the following advantages over a map:

• It provides a current pictorial view of the ground that no map can equal.
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

• It is more readily obtained. The photograph may be in the hands of the user within a few hours
after it is taken; a map may take months to prepare.
• It may be made for places that are inaccessible
• It shows features that do not appear on maps.
• It can provide a day-to-day comparison of selected areas
• It provides a permanent and objective record of the day-to-day changes with the area.
• Topographic maps are not spatially distorted

Disadvantages. The aerial photograph has the following disadvantages as compared to a map:

• Ground features are difficult to identify or interpret without symbols and are often obscured by
other ground detail as, for example, buildings in wooded areas.
• Position location and scale are only approximate.
• Detailed variations in the terrain features are not readily apparent without overlapping photography
and a stereoscopic viewing instrument.
• Because of a lack of contrasting colors and tone, a photograph is difficult to use in poor light.
• It lacks marginal data.
• It requires more training to interpret than a map.
• They have a high degree of distortion, thus measurements are not accurate

Goggle Earth Maps

• Easy, fast
• Very high resolution imagery
• Some locations—only lower
• resolution OR blurred out (Pentagon)
• 3D buildings for many locations
• Date of imagery not available
• Sky View: stars, constellations, galaxies, planets and the Earth's moon
• Plus—higher resolution printing, GPS device support
• Normal view, satellite image view and terrain view are available
• When zooming may have to constantly move the map
Maps
Advantages
• Show true distance, true direction, true area, and true shape but not all at once
• As an advantage, a series of maps over a period of time can be used to show the changes in land use
• Lower overhead costs
• Technology changes infrequent
• Don’t require technology to use

Lin Smith 104

 MAP RESEARCH Disadvantages
• The scale of a map can limit the amount of information that can be displayed
• In order to truly represent some features such as roads they must be distorted in order to be seen
• Symbols are frequently used, if you do not have a basic knowledge of the symbols or a readily available
legend you may not be capable of finding information on the map in a short period of time
• They can be stylized, generalized or abstract, requiring some level of interpretation
• The date of publication is the latest date of accuracy making them out of date
• Difficult to combine multiple map sheet and overlays restricted
• Good quality paper difficult to find and paper may disintegrate. They can be costly to produce which may
ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES

limit the amount of information that is displayed

• Limited area can be displayed so multiple maps are needed
• Once printed the information can not be changed

GIS Maps Geographic Information System

Advantages
• Instantly available
• Inexpensive
• Can pan to observe different perspectives, can zoom and change the scale
• Can search the entire GIS
• Can access additional information about a location or site
• Can use measurements at any relative scale without restriction
• Unlike maps which have a limited use, they have a variety of functions
• Can be tailored to the users needs at minimal cost
• Ability to be integrated into other computer systems
• Can create a 3-dimensional image of geographic features
• Can view series of layers which can be combined (map overlay)
• Easy to update, change, and merge with other maps
• Multiple user simultaneously
• When copying no loss in generations

Disadvantages
• Technology can frequently change
• Need to convert map data to digital
• Standards might vary in the input sources
• There is no universal standard for the data
• If you have a slow internet connection it make take some time to load
• The map can be small depending upon your monitor size
• The philosophies of electronic compete against old methodology
• Lack of privacy - more open to copyright infringement
• Compatibility
• User must be tech knowledgeable and take time to understand the technology

And last but not least, how do you fold a map? I can remember the road trips we took when I was little. It seemed
that Dad only asked for directions when the map was put away in the glove box. Unfolding it covered the window and
refolding it well, that’s another story. It was usually attempted in a car in the desert with the windows rolled down and
three tired, hot and hungry kids, one dog and one cat, in the back. Thank goodness it was not a map that the scale was one
mile equals one mile!The advantage was that when you gave up you could get another free one at the gas station. Yes,
GPS’s are great but when you bend over to pan for gold and it falls in the creek you can’t go to the gas station and pick-up
another one for free!

Lin Smith 105