1960 Map of Ashton

About this map

Ashton and the surrounding high-country borderlands of Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are mapped here at a time when the Union Pacific Railroad still serviced small stops like Eccles Siding and Trude Siding. The map details the intricate geography of the Continental Divide as it traverses the Madison Plateau and Pitchstone Plateau, framing the vast wilderness of Yellowstone National Park. To the west, the irrigation-supported agriculture near Marysville and Grainville contrasts with the massive water storage of the Island Park Reservoir and Hebgen Lake. Local landmarks such as the Snowball Inn, Kirby Ranch, and various forest service stations illustrate the era's mix of ranching and emerging recreational tourism. This survey documents the critical junctions of U S Highway 20 and U S Highway 191, providing a clear view of the regional infrastructure before late-century modernization changed the character of these mountain passages.