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1955 Map of Coal Bank Basin

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Coal Bank Basin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Overland Trail tracks across this high-plains landscape, marking a historical corridor of westward travel through the Coal Bank Basin. In the mid-1950s, the area was defined by a network of established cattle operations, including the Peterson Ranch and Kamp Ranch. These ranches are connected by rugged tracks and the Rattlesnake Pass Road, which cuts through the dramatic elevation of Dana Ridge.

Resource extraction and rural education are centered near the southern border, where the Hat Creek Sch stands near Welton Lake. A solitary Coal Mine in the northern hills and several gravel pits indicate the early industrial footprint of the Missouri River Basin development program. The topography is further defined by the winding course of Pass Creek and the southern slopes of Sheephead Mountain, showing a landscape where water sources like Welton Fish Pond were vital for the survival of remote ranching outposts.