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1953 Map of Barras Springs

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Barras Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Oregon Trail tracks wind through this landscape of the High Plains, following the valley of the Sweetwater River in Fremont County. The map documents a critical corridor of western migration, featuring St Marys Station (Historic) and the Ellis Ranch along the river's northern bank. This era shows an established ranching and irrigation network, with man-made features like Brown Ditch and Arnold Ditch No 1 diverting water to the arid terrain.

South of the river, the topography rises sharply toward North Bear Mountain, cut by deep drainage features such as Ladysmith Draw and Coyote Gulch. This 1953 survey, with revisions into the late 1970s, captures a transition in land use, noting an inactive oil well near Barras Springs. The region is defined by these sparse water sources, from the isolated Slough Lake to family-named landmarks like Ladysmith Spring and Weasel Spring.