1958 Map of Collins Ranch

About this map

Pearson and several widely dispersed family operations define this corner of Montana's high plains in the late 1950s. The landscape is heavily marked by water management for livestock, featuring a dense network of small reservoirs such as Dog Creek Reservoir and Skull Reservoir along the winding drainages of Willow Creek and Lone Tree Creek. To the south, the terrain descends toward the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Range and the northern reaches of Fort Peck Lake, where the dramatic topography of Shufeldt Ridge and Van Hook Ridge meets the river basin. This survey documents a ranching-dependent economy before later shifts in land use, showing established headquarters like Collins Ranch, Wittmayer Ranch, and Stebley Ranch. Notable landmarks for local history include Graveyard Hill and Two Buttes, providing clear orientation points in a region dominated by deep coulees like Dog Coulee and Seventh Coulee.