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1949 Map of Chalk Buttes

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Chalk Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1991
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1991

About this map

The Emigrant Wagon Trail cuts a diagonal path through this landscape, marking the enduring legacy of the westward migration routes south of Douglas. This survey, conducted as part of the Missouri River Basin development program, captures the intersection of pioneering history and mid-century topographical mapping. Multiple instances of the Oregon Trail Monument are documented along the route as it traverses the high ground between the North Platte River and the prominent rising mass of Sheep Mountain.

Hydrological features are central to the terrain, with the North Platte River winding through the eastern portion of the quadrangle. Significant landmarks like Warm Springs Hill and Hot Springs are noted near the riverbanks, while the interior is drained by a network of seasonal watercourses including Bed Tick Creek, Hound Creek, and Little Bed Tick Creek. The namesake Chalk Buttes stand out in the north, surrounded by a complex system of ditches and windmills that illustrate the ranching infrastructure of the late 1940s.