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1951 Map of Elton

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Elton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Yellowstone River cuts through the heart of this Park County landscape, which by the early 1950s was defined by an extensive network of irrigation infrastructure and ranching operations. The Northern Pacific railroad and the Old Yellowstone Trail flank the river, providing vital transport links through this corridor. A significant concentration of family legacies is recorded here, including the Wilcox Homestead, Troutman Homestead, and Frelick Homestead, many of which are noted as abandoned, signaling a period of transition in high-prairie land use.

South of the river, the terrain rises toward Buffalo Hump and into Oregon Valley, where the Locke Creek School once served the local community. The presence of the Gov Sawmill near Greeley Creek and several active ranches like Francis Ranch and Swanson Ranch illustrate the localized wood and livestock economy of the era. This survey provides a precise account of the water systems essential to the region, such as the Upper Windsor Ditch and Mission Ditch.