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1953 Map of Center

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Center
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Port Discovery provides a northern anchor for this mid-century topographic study, where the waters of the sound meet the rugged interior of the Olympic Peninsula. The C M St P & P railroad line cuts through the landscape, connecting Discovery Junction and Fairmont near the coastline before trending inland towards Eaglemount. This corridor highlights a period when rail and the Olympic Highway were primary arteries for the timber and agricultural communities of Jefferson County.

Further south, the landscape is defined by the fertile Chimacum Valley and a dense network of freshwater bodies including Gibbs Lake, Beausite Lake, and Leland Lake. Small rural hubs like Center and the Dabob School serve as markers of local settlement patterns established along the drainages of West Valley Creek and Tarboo Creek. The map documents a quiet rural era before significant modern development, preserving the locations of early schoolhouses and railroad junctions vital to the region's history.