1953 Map of Dry Fork Ranch

About this map

The Cooks Seventeenmile Stage Station (Historical Site) sits near the confluence of Seventeenmile Creek and the Dry Fork Powder River, marking a point of transit across this expansive ranching landscape in Johnson and Campbell Counties. In the early 1950s, the area was defined by a network of seasonal camps and ranching outposts, including the Irvine Shearing Camp and the Taylor Cow Camp. Numerous Artesian Wells and Springs are scattered throughout the terrain, highlighting the critical importance of water access for livestock in an environment where named drainages like Beecher Draw, Tex Draw, and Cottonwood Creek often run dry. The map records the shifting nature of human settlement, noting the Nichols Ranch (Aband) while several Windmills remain active across the high ground between Bullwhacker Creek and Fletcher Canyon.