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1947 Map of Butte

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The Continental Divide winds through this post-war landscape, marking the transition between the Missouri and Clark Fork drainage basins. Centered on the industrial and mining hubs of Butte and Helena, the map illustrates a complex network of transportation and land management at the mid-century mark. The confluence of three major rail systems—the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific, Northern Pacific, and Great Northern—underscores the region's importance as a mountain transit corridor.

Broad valleys like the Missoula Valley and Nevada Valley support established settlements such as Missoula, Bonner, and Drummond, while the high country is dominated by the Deerlodge National Forest and Flint Creek Range. From the University Mt campus to the Fort Harrison Military Reservation, the map documents a mix of civic expansion and federal land use, including numerous high-altitude water bodies like Georgetown Lake and Silver Lake.