1956 Map of Bridger Pass

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this high-altitude landscape of southern Wyoming, where the crossing at Bridger Pass historically funneled travel across the Atlantic Rim. The map documents the overlapping layers of western transit, showing the path of the Emigrant Trail and the Overland Trail as they navigate the drainages of Little Sage Creek and Pine Grove Creek. In the late 1950s, the region supported a series of isolated homesteads including Lambertsen Ranch, McCarthy Ranch, and Johnson Ranch, while the Union Pacific Railroad cuts across the northern edge near Solon. The terrain is defined by dramatic geological features such as Hogback Ridge and the deep incisions of Beckman Canyon. Traces of the mid-century energy economy appear in the Oil Field and scattered Oil Well labels, juxtaposed against the older cattle-ranching footprint and the historic Sage Station (Site).