1965 Map of Curley Creek

About this map

The Kootenai River carves through this rugged borderland in the mid-1960s, marking the transition between the Kaniksu and Kootenai National Forests. The Great Northern railroad tracks parallel the river's bend, reflecting the critical transport corridor connecting northern Idaho to the Montana line. High-elevation landmarks like Haystack Mountain and Leonia Knob overlook a landscape dotted with isolated evidence of early 20th-century industry and infrastructure, including the Homestake Mine and Central Sch. Water features such as Bonner Lake and Herman Lake sit amidst the dense forest, while numerous creeks like Sand Creek and Kingsley Creek drain the steep mountain gulches. This survey provides a precise look at the backcountry roads and jeep trails that defined movement through the Idaho-Montana panhandle before modern development altered these remote forest boundaries.