Loading map...

1950 Map of East Helena

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of East Helena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

East Helena serves as the industrial and transportation hub of this mid-century landscape, where the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads converge. The map documents a complex irrigation and water management network, featuring a system of flumes and ditches alongside the Prickly Pear Creek valley. To the north, the waters of Lake Helena and Hauser Lake dominate the terrain, with the Missouri River cutting through Eldorado Bar.

Genealogists and local historians will find a wealth of early rural infrastructure, from the Masonic Home and St Anns Cem to various one-room schools like Harmony School and Lakeside School. Evidence of the region’s mineral history is present in the numerous inactive workings south of Montana City, including the Chicago Mine and Economy Mine. This 1950 survey was conducted as part of the Department of the Interior’s program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, capturing the area just before significant modern expansion.