﻿TOPOGRAPHICAL 
  REPORT 
  OxN 
  THE 
  SOUTHEASTERN 
  

  

  DISTRICT. 
  

  

  The 
  territory 
  set 
  apart 
  for 
  the 
  southern, 
  or 
  San 
  Juan, 
  division, 
  for 
  the 
  

   summer 
  of 
  1875, 
  was 
  embraced 
  between 
  36° 
  45' 
  and 
  37° 
  45' 
  north 
  lati- 
  

   tude, 
  and 
  from 
  104° 
  30' 
  to 
  108° 
  west 
  longitude, 
  with 
  some 
  irregularities 
  

   where 
  joining 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  previous 
  years, 
  especially 
  toward 
  the 
  west, 
  

   where 
  the 
  unsurveyed 
  district 
  tapered 
  down 
  to 
  quite 
  a 
  narrow 
  belt. 
  

  

  This 
  area 
  is 
  divided 
  naturally 
  into 
  five 
  parts, 
  viz, 
  the 
  eastern 
  slope, 
  

   Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Eange, 
  San 
  Louis 
  Valley, 
  San 
  Juan 
  Mountains, 
  and 
  the 
  

   mesa 
  country 
  to 
  the 
  west. 
  

  

  The 
  first, 
  lying 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  range, 
  embraces 
  a 
  por- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  plains, 
  the 
  Spanish 
  Peaks, 
  and 
  the 
  Raton 
  Hills. 
  This 
  

   portion 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  is 
  drained 
  mostly 
  by 
  the 
  Huerfano, 
  Apishpa, 
  and 
  

   Purgatoire 
  Elvers. 
  All 
  of 
  these 
  streams 
  flow 
  eastward, 
  and 
  join 
  the 
  

   Arkansas 
  Eiver 
  in 
  the 
  plains 
  below. 
  Along 
  the 
  banks 
  of 
  the 
  streams 
  

   there 
  are 
  bottoms 
  of 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  extent, 
  which 
  are 
  easily 
  irrigated, 
  and 
  

   are 
  composed 
  of 
  a 
  rich 
  loamy 
  soil, 
  susceptible 
  of 
  a 
  high 
  degree 
  of 
  cul- 
  

   tivation, 
  producing 
  good 
  crops 
  when 
  properly 
  cultivated. 
  The 
  table- 
  

   lands 
  appear 
  to 
  be 
  covered 
  with 
  a 
  very 
  good 
  soil, 
  and 
  would 
  probably 
  

   produce 
  good 
  crops 
  if 
  the 
  necessary 
  water 
  is 
  once 
  brought 
  upon 
  them. 
  

   The 
  foot-hills 
  and 
  valleys 
  along 
  this 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  district 
  furnish 
  pas- 
  

   turage 
  for 
  a 
  great 
  many 
  sheep 
  and 
  cattle. 
  The 
  Denver 
  and 
  Eio 
  Grande 
  

   Eailway 
  is 
  now 
  running 
  as 
  far 
  south 
  as 
  Elmoro, 
  and, 
  skirting 
  along 
  the 
  

   foot-hills, 
  gives 
  an 
  excellent 
  outlet 
  to 
  the 
  products 
  of 
  these 
  valleys. 
  

  

  i^ext 
  in 
  order 
  is 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  Range, 
  trending 
  nearly 
  north 
  

   and 
  south, 
  with 
  a 
  slight 
  curve 
  eastward 
  along 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  this 
  sec- 
  

   tion. 
  This 
  range 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  and 
  best 
  defined 
  in 
  Colorado, 
  and 
  

   it 
  contains 
  many 
  very 
  prominent 
  peaks. 
  The 
  following 
  are 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  

   more 
  noted, 
  commencing 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  end: 
  

  

  aSTames. 
  Elevation, 
  in 
  feet. 
  

  

  Hunt's 
  Peak 
  12,446 
  

  

  Mount 
  Eito 
  Alto 
  12,989 
  

  

  Kit 
  Carson's 
  Peak 
  14,100 
  

  

  Crestone 
  14,230 
  

  

  BlancaPeak 
  14.464 
  

  

  Baldy 
  Peak 
  14,176 
  

  

  Trinchera 
  Peak 
  13,540 
  

  

  Culebra 
  Peak 
  , 
  14,079 
  

  

  Purgatory 
  Peak 
  13,719 
  

  

  BoundarvPeak 
  12,840 
  

  

  Costilla 
  Peak 
  12,634 
  

  

  VenadoPeak 
  12,800 
  

  

  There 
  are 
  many 
  more 
  unnamed 
  points 
  along 
  this 
  crest, 
  which 
  are 
  as 
  

   high, 
  and 
  even 
  higher, 
  than 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  above; 
  but 
  these 
  will 
  serve 
  to 
  

   convey 
  some 
  idea 
  of 
  its 
  general 
  height. 
  

  

  The 
  San 
  Luis 
  Valley 
  is 
  really 
  a 
  great 
  plain 
  surrounded 
  by 
  high 
  ranges 
  

   and 
  lofty 
  i^eaks, 
  bounded 
  on 
  the 
  west 
  and 
  northwest 
  by 
  the 
  San 
  Juan 
  

   and 
  Sawatch 
  Ranges, 
  on 
  the 
  east 
  and 
  northeast 
  by 
  the 
  Sangre 
  de 
  Cristo 
  

   Eange, 
  and 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  by 
  a 
  succession 
  of 
  volcanic 
  buttes. 
  It 
  extends 
  

   from 
  Puncho 
  Pass 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  to 
  the 
  above-mentioned 
  hills 
  on' 
  the 
  south, 
  

  

  599 
  

  

  