1954 Map of Carlile

About this map

Keyhole Reservoir dominates the southern landscape of this 1954 preliminary survey, created just years after the construction of the Keyhole Dam. The map documents a period of significant infrastructure development in Crook County, overseen by both the Geological Survey and the Atomic Energy Commission. High ridges such as Pine Ridge and the Dakota Divide define the watershed, where established rural life is evidenced by the Green Hill Ranch and local educational landmarks like Thorn Divide School and Pine Ridge Sch. Technical modernizations of the era are visible through the presence of a CAA Radar Station perched on the high ground between the Belle Fourche River and Cabin Creek. This topographic study provides a snapshot of the Wyoming hills at the intersection of traditional ranching and mid-century federal water and aviation projects.