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1970 Map of Esau Canyon

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Esau Canyon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The John Day River carves a deep, winding path through the high desert of north-central Oregon, defining the boundary between Sherman and Gilliam counties. Along its banks, river miles are meticulously marked, and the JS Burres State Park sits near a prominent bend where Cottonwood Canyon joins the main waterway. The landscape is dominated by a complex network of dry canyons and seasonal drainages, including the eponymous Esau Canyon, Devils Canyon, and Ferry Canyon.

Evidence of historical transit and land use is found in the steep Ruggles (Pack) Grade and Taylor (Pack) Grade, which likely served as early access routes into the river valley. To the south, human activity is more concentrated at the Rietmann Ranch and the nearby Ajax Landing Strip along Ajax Road. These features, alongside isolated landmarks like Devils Butte, illustrate the vast scale of agricultural and transport patterns in this remote interior region during the early 1970s.