Loading map...

1960 Map of Brown Coulee

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Brown Coulee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

The semi-arid landscape of Rosebud County is defined here by a network of drainage channels and small-scale ranching developments. Surveyed as part of the Department of the Interior's efforts for the Missouri River Basin development, the map showcases the critical importance of water management in eastern Montana. A series of impoundments, including Brown Coulee Reservoir and Blacktail Reservoir, catch seasonal runoff from the surrounding uplands. These reservoirs, marked by specific elevations like Spillway 2807, provided vital water sources for the cattle operations that anchored the local economy.

Evidence of early 20th-century settlement persists through family-named landmarks such as the Sweeter Homestead and Brockel Homestead. The rugged terrain is carved by Brown Coulee and Badland Coulee, where narrow draws give way to the more open drainage of East Blacktail Creek. This document captures a moment when the transition from individual homesteading to larger operations like the Ihagen Ranch and Blacktail Ranch was fully etched into the Montana prairie.