1978 Map of Battle Creek Butte

About this map

Battle Creek Butte anchors this 1978 survey of the western South Dakota plains, a landscape defined by an intricate network of intermittent watercourses and high prairie terrain. The topographic detail follows the winding paths of Battle Creek and Porcupine Creek, illustrating how the drainage patterns of Hawks Nest Draw and Antelope Creek have sculpted the rangeland. Unlike maps of more populated regions, this sheet highlights the isolation of the western plains, where a single Well represents a critical human imprint for ranching and livestock in an otherwise open environment. The survey captures the area just as modern photogrammetric methods were refining the representation of this sparsely settled corner of Butte County.