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1966 Map of Deaver Reservoir

Name: 1966 Topographic Map of Deaver Reservoir
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Polecat Bench dominates the high ground in this arid northern Wyoming landscape, where the intersection of Carbon and Park counties meets the Montana border. The settlement of Frannie serves as the local hub, positioned at a critical junction of the Burlington Northern railroad. The region's economy in the mid-1960s is clearly defined by its industrial and agricultural infrastructure, featuring the extensive Frannie Oil Field and Polecat Oil Field, which are crisscrossed by a network of pipelines.

Water management is the defining human imprint on this terrain. An intricate system of irrigation, including the Frannie Canal, Deaver Canal, and Burlington Canal, draws from the Deaver Reservoir and Blue Lake to support life in the rain shadow of the mountains. Of particular interest to historians is the route of the Jim Bridger Trail, which cuts through the desert floor, tracing a path of westward expansion alongside modern canals and oil wells.