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1952 Map of Battle Mountain

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Battle Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Bates Battlefield lies at the heart of this mid-century survey, marking a site of significant cultural and military history at the foot of Battle Mountain. The landscape is defined by the drainage network of Nowood Creek and Bates Creek, where remote cattle operations like the Orchard Bates Creek Ranch and Rate Homestead established a foothold in the arid Wyoming basin. The terrain rises toward Hawks Butte, while the No Wood Road provides the primary corridor through this sparsely populated territory.

Local water sources were vital for early ranching, evidenced by the presence of Dead Indian Spring and the Mexican Lakes. This 1952 field check captures the area during the Missouri River Basin development program, a period when traditional ranching life relied on these specific springs and creeks. The map also delineates the complex intersection of four Wyoming counties: Hot Springs, Washakie, Fremont, and Natrona.