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1972 Map of Cottonwood

Name: 1972 Topographic Map of Cottonwood
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1975
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1975

About this map

Cottonwood Coulee and its tributaries carve a complex drainage pattern across this Hill County landscape, where the high plains of northern Montana meet the legacy of early 20th-century homesteading. The map centers on the small rural community hub defined by the Cottonwood Sch, the Cottonwood Community Hall, and the Cottonwood Cem, providing a detailed record of the social infrastructure that sustained isolated farming families in this region.

Tracing a diagonal path through the area is the Wild Horse Trail, a historic route of transit that follows the natural contours of the land. The topography is dominated by numerous intermittent watercourses, including Willow Coulee and Redrock Coulee, which highlight the importance of water management in a semi-arid environment. The detailed survey captures a moment when traditional township and range divisions, such as the line between R 13 E and R 14 E, remained the primary framework for land ownership and local navigation.