1960 Map of Custer

About this map

The Yellowstone River anchors this 1960 survey of south-central Montana, where the small settlement of Custer sits along the southern bank at the intersection of rail and water infrastructure. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition between the irrigated valley floor and the dissected uplands of the Yellowstone and Treasure County border. Transportation history is prominent here, with the Northern Pacific tracks following the river's course, passing through the Bighorn Tunnel to the east. Evidence of evolving infrastructure is visible in the Railroad Grade and Old Pipeline nearby. North of the river, the terrain rises into the breaks of Fivemile Hill, carved by a network of ephemeral drainages including Big Coulee, Hawk Coulee, and Carson Coulee. The irrigation network, led by the Custer Canal, supports the agricultural activity concentrated in the fertile bottomlands below the surrounding bluffs.