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1953 Map of Fats Draw

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Fats Draw
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Pumpkin Creek and its many prongs carve a complex drainage system through this high-plains landscape in Campbell County. The map reveals a mid-century ranching economy defined by isolated outposts such as Wormwood Ranch and Saunders Ranch. Of particular interest to local historians is the Gilkie Ranch (Aban'd), which is already marked as abandoned by the time of this early 1950s survey.

Survival in this arid terrain is evidenced by the presence of an Artesian Well and various Water Holes located along the seasonal drainages of Fats Draw and Hartzog Draw. The inclusion of a private Airstrip near Christensen North Ranch highlights the logistical reality of managing large-scale operations in this remote corner of Wyoming, where distance necessitated air travel for ranch owners and the United States Atomic Energy Commission.