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1951 Map of Dale

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Dale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The North Fork John Day River winds through this section of the Blue Mountains, defining the border between Umatilla and Grant Counties in the early 1950s. The settlement at Dale and the nearby Dale Ranger Sta serve as the primary human outposts in a landscape dominated by the Umatilla National Forest. The map reveals a high-elevation network of drainage and ridgelines, including Umatilla Ridge and the sharp topography of The Cockscomb.

Mineral interest and seasonal occupation are evident through the presence of the Keeney Mine and Blue Bucket Mine, alongside numerous field camps such as Peep Creek Camp and Keeney Camp. The terrain is marked by dozens of named meadows and basins, such as Wassen Meadows and Patterson Basin, which historically supported summer grazing and forest management. This survey captures the region just as resource management and early mining interests were being formalized through a dense system of forest trails and improved roads.