1959 Map of Bates Creek Reservoir

About this map

Bates Creek Reservoir and the surrounding high plains of Natrona and Carbon Counties are defined here by a landscape of intermittent streams and remote camp outposts. In the late 1950s, this area of the Wyoming interior was sparsely developed, marked primarily by the Casper Medicine Bow Road cutting through the center of the sheet and the small outpost of Two Bar Camp near the northern reservoir. To the south, the topography rises toward Moss Agate Ridge, where numerous Drill Holes indicate mid-century exploration for mineral resources. Small water features like Percy Reservoir and various unnamed springs dot the terrain, reflecting the critical importance of water management for livestock and industry in this arid environment. The map captures the region just before later 20th-century developments, preserving the original ranching and resource-extraction footprint of the area.