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1950 Map of Canyon Ferry

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Canyon Ferry
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

Hedges Mountain and the Big Belt Mountains dominate this 1950s landscape, a rugged terrain where mining history and water management intersect. The map documents a significant era of transformation for the Missouri River as the New Canyon Ferry Dam project reshaped the valley, creating Canyon Ferry Lake and Sewell Lake. These man-made reservoirs submerged older landmarks, while the labels for Old Canyon Ferry and Cemetery Hill provide a geographic link to the area's pre-inundation topography.

Evidence of the region's extractive past and transportation infrastructure remains prominent. The Argo Mine (Aband) sits in the high gulches near Hellgate Gulch, while small settlements like York, Kingsberry, and Placer represent the distributed community of the era. To the southwest, the Northern Pacific railroad tracks and the Spokane Beacon mark vital transport and aviation corridors through the Spokane Hills, serving the ranching and mining country of Lewis and Clark and Broadwater counties.