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1960 Map of Five Fingers Butte

Name: 1960 Topographic Map of Five Fingers Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1963
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1963

About this map

The high desert of Sweetwater County is defined here by the sweeping Cyclone Rim, which segments this 1960 landscape into distinct hydrological basins and prominent volcanic landmarks. Prominent buttes such as Five Fingers Butte, Bastard Butte, and Buffalo Hump rise from the terrain, serving as essential landmarks for navigation and land management. The presence of water is carefully documented through numerous named sources including Osborne Spring, Kinch McKinney Spring, and the John Hay Reservoir, highlighting the critical importance of moisture in this arid environment.

Evidence of ranching and early energy exploration is visible at Luman Ranch and the Bastard Butte Well, while transportation is limited to established tracks like Rigby Road and Luman Road. The map shows a transition toward modern water management with the development of the Hay Reservoir along Bush Creek. These features illustrate the mid-century effort by the Department of the Interior to develop the Missouri River Basin through infrastructure and resource mapping.