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1954 Map of Dark Butte

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Dark Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Missouri River winds through this section of Chouteau County, carving a deep valley flanked by dramatic geological formations. This 1950s survey documents the rural character of the Missouri River Basin during a period of federal development, showing a landscape defined by sharp elevation changes and seasonal watercourses. Notable landmarks such as Steamboat Rock and the Pinnacles rise above the riverbanks, while Dark Butte serves as a prominent navigational marker in the southern portion of the quadrangle.

Evidence of early 20th-century rural education is preserved here with the location of the Tuscania School in the north and Cantigny School near the center. The river itself remains the primary geographical driver, featuring Pablo Island and the turbulent Pablo Rapids. A network of drainage features like Sheep Shed Coulee and various unnamed springs illustrate the complex hydrology of these breaks, where cattle ranching and dryland farming relied on scarce water sources.