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1948 Map of Capeneys Lake

Name: 1948 Topographic Map of Capeneys Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Medicine Lake Migratory Waterfowl Refuge dominates the landscape of this northeastern Montana region, representing a significant conservation effort in the late 1940s. The survey illustrates the critical hydrologic connection between Medicine Lake and Capeneys Lake, showing the intricate shoreline and marshy terrain vital to local wildlife. This was a period when the Bureau of Reclamation and Geological Survey closely monitored these prairie wetlands for both agricultural and ecological purposes.

Away from the water, the map reveals the sparse but organized settlement patterns of Sheridan and Roosevelt Counties. Small rural schools like Beverly Sch and Hammond Sch served the dispersed farming families of the high plains, while landmarks such as the Lookout Tower and Rock Crossing provided essential navigation points in the vast, open country. The presence of numerous windmills across the terrain underscores the reliance on groundwater for the livestock and homesteads established here.