1957 Map of Burke

About this map

Mining operations and narrow canyons dominate this portion of the Bitterroot Range during the late 1950s. The concentrated industrial activity of the Silver Valley is evident in the southeastern quadrant, where the Union Pacific railroad line serves a dense string of settlements including Burke, Mace, Black Bear, and Frisco. Numerous underground operations like the Standard Mammoth Mine and Hercules Mine are flanked by heavy Tailings deposits along the canyon floor. To the north, the landscape shifts toward the drainage of the Coeur d'Alene River and Prichard Creek, where the historic gold mining center of Murray persists near the Golden Chest Mine. The map also captures several remote sites like Littlefield (Site) and Raven (Site), alongside local institutions such as the Beaver School and Shoshone Opportunity Sch, reflecting the community structure that once supported this intense extractive economy.