1951 Map of Black Butte Mountain

About this map

The Bureau of Reclamation and Geological Survey collaborated on this 1950s study as part of the development of the Missouri River Basin. The landscape is dominated by Black Butte Mountain, with the surrounding drainage patterns defined by the winding course of Sixteenmile Creek and its many tributaries, including Battle Creek and Mike Day Creek. This era of Montana ranching is represented by family holdings such as the J Stewart Ranch and Prescott Ranch, which served as local landmarks in the isolated terrain of Meagher County. Evidence of earlier industrial efforts appears near the headwaters of Battle Creek, where a Copper Mine is noted as inactive. The mapping provides a precise record of the road networks and water resources essential to the livestock and mining economy of the early postwar period.