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1959 Map of Baker

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Baker
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

The Snake River carves a deep boundary through the center of this mid-century landscape, separating the high peaks of the Wallowa Mountains and Whitman National Forest in Oregon from the Payette National Forest in Idaho. This survey captures a moment when the regional economy relied heavily on the transit corridor provided by the Union Pacific railroad and major highways like U S 30.

Evidence of the region's pioneering history is marked by the Oregon Trail Memorial Monument near Baker, while the industrial footprint is visible at the Flagstaff Mine. Water management is a dominant feature, with the Cascade Reservoir, Unity Reservoir, and Malheur Reservoir appearing alongside numerous smaller waterways like the Powder River and Weiser River. Small settlements such as Robinette, Richland, and Smith Ferry dot the river valleys between the expansive mountain ranges.