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1956 Map of Bassett Junction

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Bassett Junction
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

The high desert landscape of central Washington is defined here by the intersection of mid-century rail infrastructure and federal irrigation projects. At Bassett Junction, the Northern Pacific and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads converge, marking a vital transit point between the small rail-stop settlements of Tiflis, Ritell, and Barham. The terrain is deeply etched by dry ravines such as Weber Coulee and Lind Coulee, which contrast sharply with the engineered path of the East Low Canal.

This 1950s survey captures the region during a period of transition, where land use was shifting from traditional ranching to more intensive agriculture supported by the newly constructed canal system and its various Siphons and Wasteways. The map provides a precise record of the isolated farmsteads and rural siding locations like Atwood and Laing that formed the backbone of the local grain-and-cattle economy.