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This richly detailed color geological map of the northern Front Range and central Colorado is from Hayden’s landmark Atlas of Colorado (1877), the first comprehensive geological survey of the region. This map complements the corresponding topographic sheet (Sheet VI), presenting the same area with a full lithographic rendering of its geological strata, eruptive zones, and mineral-bearing formations.
The map spans the mountainous core of Colorado, including North Park, Middle Park, South Park, and the Front Range, stretching from Denver and the Platte River Valley to the Mosquito and Gore Ranges. It is color-coded according to the stratigraphic sequence shown in the key below the image, identifying Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic, and Archean formations, along with igneous intrusions and mineralized belts.
Notable are the volcanic intrusions, gold and silver-bearing regions, and thermal springs marked with red circles, all of which underscore the economic and scientific motivations behind the survey. The legend includes over 25 geologic units and formations, distinguishing rock types such as Dakota Group, Laramie, Weber, Monument Creek beds, syenite, trachyte, and basalt, among others.
Surveyed by assistants A.J. Marvin, A.C. Peale, and W.H. Holmes, this plate is one of the most graphically compelling maps in the Atlas. The Hayden Atlas was a milestone in American geological cartography, marking the first time the mountainous interior of Colorado was scientifically and systematically visualized in both topographic and stratigraphic form.
States
A second state was published for the 1881 edition, which adds proposed lines for the Colorado Western; Denver, Rollinsville & Western; and Denver & Rio Grande Railroads, and a few towns including Kokomo, Eagle City, and Leadville.
Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, known to the Sioux as "man-who-picks-up-stones-running," stands among the pantheon of eminent geologists of the 19th century.
Hayden's academic career commenced at Oberlin College, and he furthered his education at Albany Medical College, where he received his M.D. in 1853. Despite his medical training, Hayden was primarily engaged in geology, a field to which he would dedicate his life's work.
Hayden commenced his geological career with a survey in the Nebraska Territory in 1856. In 1859 and 1860, he conducted further exploratory work in the Rocky Mountains, particularly in Colorado, which was then part of the Nebraska and Kansas territories. His early work in the field earned him the respect of Native American tribes, with the Sioux reportedly dubbing him "man-who-picks-up-stones-running" due to his avid and energetic collection of geological samples during his expeditions.
By the 1860s, Hayden had risen to prominence as a geologist and was appointed the United States Geologist for the Geological Survey of the Territories. This role would define his career, leading numerous surveys in the Western United States. Notably, from 1871 to 1872, Hayden led a survey into the region that would become Yellowstone National Park, and his reports significantly contributed to the establishment of Yellowstone as the first National Park in 1872.
Hayden's most significant contribution to geological literature was the Geological Atlas of Colorado, published in 1877. This work was the result of comprehensive surveys conducted across Colorado, meticulously documenting the state's geography and geology. The atlas offered detailed maps on a scale previously unseen, encompassing not only Colorado but adjacent areas, including parts of Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Hayden's influence extended to academia, as he was affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania for a period, where he held the position of professor of geology. His academic and field work combined to form a substantial body of knowledge that would be used by future scholars and explorers.
Ferdinand V. Hayden passed away on December 22, 1887, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His enduring legacy is reflected in the numerous natural features named after him, including Hayden Valley in Yellowstone and Mount Hayden in Colorado. His contributions to geology during the 19th century remain a cornerstone of American geological and geographical sciences.
