1951 Map of Blackbird Mtn

About this map

Blackbird Mine and several neighboring operations serve as focal points for this mid-century survey of the Lemhi County backcountry. The industrial footprint of the Cobalt Mine and Sunshine Mine contrasts with the isolated ranches and administrative outposts that dot the drainage of Panther Creek. The landscape is dominated by high-elevation ridges like Gant Ridge and Porphyry Ridge, where the Red Rock Pk Lookout and Blackbird Mtn provide vantage points over the vast timberlands of the Salmon National Forest. Remote outposts such as Forney and the Miller Ranch are connected by a network of primitive trails and improved dirt roads, illustrating the logistical challenges of mining and forestry in the interior West. The map captures a transition period where active resource extraction coincided with established ranching at Degan Ranch and the seasonal presence of Squaw Camp in the northern reaches.