Loading map...

1953 Map of Bozeman

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Bozeman
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Bozeman serves as a bustling center of activity in the early 1950s, defined by the expanding campus of Montana State College and the intersection of the Northern Pacific RR and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific RR. The landscape is a complex network of agricultural irrigation, with the East Gallatin River and West Gallatin River feeding dozens of named waterways like the Spain Ferris Fork Ditch and Moreland Ditch. To the south, the valley gives way to the dense woods of the Gallatin National Forest, where the terrain rises toward Wheeler Mountain and Noon Mark.

Rural life is anchored by a dense distribution of country schools, including Cameron School, Middle Creek School, and Little Bear School, many of which served the family-run operations at Martin Ranch and Patterson Ranch. The map also captures local recreation and landmarks of the era, from the Bozeman Country Club and Fair Grounds to the medicinal waters at Bozeman Hot Springs. This survey provides a precise look at the transition between the valley's intensive hydraulic engineering and the high timber of the forest boundary.