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1956 Map of Emerald Lake

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Emerald Lake
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1962
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1962

About this map

Custer National Forest dominates this mid-century topographic record, where high-altitude wilderness meets the early ranching operations of Stillwater County. The sprawling Fishtail Plateau rises above a network of waterways including Fishtail Creek and Fiddler Creek, illustrating the challenging landscape that limited early 20th-century development to small pockets of activity.

Evidence of local ranching and early irrigation is visible through the Rickman-Kennedy Ditch and family-named properties like Bedford Ranch and Hash Ranch. A notable genealogical detail is the location of Bedford School (Aband), signaling a shift in rural education and population by the 1950s. The map also highlights established recreation sites such as Emerald Lake and the Pine Grove Campground along the shores of West Rosebud Lake, marking the transition of the Montana backcountry from a working landscape to a destination for mountain exploration.