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1953 Map of Dry Fork Ranch

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Dry Fork Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

The historical Bozeman Trail cuts a diagonal path through this landscape, marking a legacy of western migration across the High Plains. This 1950s survey reflects a ranching economy defined by seasonal movement and water management, where the Dry Fork Powder River and its many draws like Beecher Draw and Tex Draw dictate the placement of local infrastructure. Evidence of early settlement and travel is grounded in the Cooks Seventeenmile Stage Station (Historical Site), located near the banks of Seventeenmile Creek.

Resource-focused outposts such as the Irvine Shearing Camp and the Taylor Cow Camp underscore the region's utilitarian character, while the presence of the Nichols Ranch (Abandoned) serves as a reminder of the shifting fortunes of homesteading. Dozens of windmills and artesian wells are mapped across the drainages of Cottonwood Creek and Bullwhacker Creek, highlighting the vital effort to sustain livestock in this semi-arid terrain.