1953 Map of Bozeman

About this map

Montana State College anchors the southern edge of Bozeman in the early 1950s, a period when the city's agricultural roots were still deeply visible through a dense network of rural schoolhouses and irrigation ditches. The landscape is defined by the Gallatin River and its numerous tributaries like Hyalite Creek and Cottonwood Creek, which supported a mosaic of family holdings such as the Patterson Ranch and Martin Ranch. This survey, completed for the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the Missouri River Basin project, captures the dual rail presence of the Northern Pacific and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads. While the northern half of the map shows a developed valley floor with sites like Bozeman Hot Springs, the southern half transitions into the Gallatin National Forest, rising toward Wheeler Mountain and the deep cuts of Hyalite Canyon.