How to Use this Information

One goal of this site is to disperse information on the West's growth and development, so please feel free to use these maps, graphs and other images, crediting the Center of the American West and/or the site so that others will use it. Here's some technical advice on how to download the maps, graphs, and data:

Downloading Maps, Charts, and Graphs:
The maps, charts, and graphs on this site are all in GIF or JPEG format, which can be used in recent versions of Powerpoint and other presentation programs. In most cases, beneath each map or chart, you will find a link that will open that image in a new, plain window. When available, the image that opens in this new window will be a larger-sized version of the original, for optimal performance in print and presentations. To save an image, just click on the image and follow the instructions in your browser to save the image to disk.

Development Futures Maps:
The development futures maps that you see on this site are animated GIF files. You can save animated GIFs and view them locally through your browser, or in Microsoft Office 2000 applications. If you'd like to to save copies of the animated maps or the maps for the years in the series, we include a link that will allow you to download a zipped folder containing the animation, the four component maps, and the accompanying legend, suitable for use in electronic presentations or low-resolution printing. Click on the link and follow your browser's instructions for saving the file on your hard drive. You will need an extraction software to open the folder.

Printing Images:
In most cases, beneath each map or chart, you will find a link that will open that image in a new, plain window. When available, the image that opens in this new window will be a larger-sized version of the original, for optimal printing. To print an image, open the image in a new window as directed above, and follow the instructions in your browser to print. Alternatively, you can download the image to your own hard drive and print it from there.

Data:
We have provided the data that inform our graphics in a variety of formats. You can view data tables within the browser as HTML (links are provided from each map or chart, where applicable) or you can download the data in text - tab delimited format or as an Excel spreadsheet.

Having Problems?
We will do our best to help you get the information you need. Please contact Julia Hobson by e-mail (hobsonja@montana.com) or Tom Dickinson by e-mail (Thomas.Dickinson@Colorado.EDU) or by phone (303) 492-6312.