1959 Map of Eightmile Draw

About this map

Eightmile Draw and its network of dry creek beds define this portion of the Wyoming high plains in the mid-1950s. The landscape is dominated by a complex drainage system that includes the South Fork Casper Creek and Poison Spider Creek. In an area where water and reliable transit are central to survival, the map documents a single point of human residence at Garson Ranch, which was already noted as abandoned by the time of the 1959 field check. Evidence of regional infrastructure appears in the eastern reaches, where a telephone road parallels the creek, reflecting the sparse but essential connectivity required in this Natrona County terrain. The survey captures the intricate topography of numerous drainages such as Coyote Creek, Soap Creek, and Cabin Creek, which cut through the ridges of the high desert plateau.