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1970 Map of Chimney Springs

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Chimney Springs
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The John Day River winds through the northwestern corner of this territory, defining the sharp boundaries between Sherman, Gilliam, and Wasco counties. This high-desert landscape is heavily carved by drainage systems like Pete Enyart Canyon and Chimney Springs Canyon, where the topography dictated the placement of isolated outposts such as Buckhorn Ranch. Settlers and ranchers in this arid region relied on scattered water sources like Duncan Spring and Big Spring, often marking their locations with infrastructure like the Cistern near Jeager.

Transportation through the canyons is limited to a network of a Jeep Trail and traditional Trail routes, connecting high points like Horse Mountain to the passage at Bills Pass. The map reveals a land structured by water rights and seasonal grazing, evidenced by multiple Corral sites along Butte Creek and Deep Creek. This survey captures the remote ranching economy before modern developments altered the character of these high plateaus.