1981 Map of Condon

About this map

The John Day River carves a winding path through the basalt plateaus of North Central Oregon, defining much of the character of this 1981 survey. Designating the John Day State Scenic Waterway, the map illustrates a landscape shaped by both geology and the expansion of the Union Pacific and Oregon-Washington Railroad & Navigation Co. High-desert agriculture and ranching are anchored by the county seats of Condon and Moro, while smaller settlements such as Monkland, Gwendolen, and Mayville sit at the edges of deep canyons like Cottonwood Canyon and Buck Hollow. Notable geological features include the dramatic river bends at the Gooseneck and the prominent Steamboat Rock. The terrain transitions from the open stretches of Grass Valley toward the more complex topography of Shoestring Ridge and the Deschutes River National Recreation Lands in the west.