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1979 Map of Forsyth

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of Forsyth
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Yellowstone River serves as the central artery for this 1979 survey of eastern Montana, where a network of coulees and creeks drains the high plains into a fertile valley. This landscape is defined by the dual presence of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific and the Burlington Northern railroads, which parallel the river and connect small rail-tied settlements like Rosebud and Hathaway. The map captures the infrastructure of the late 1970s, from the Rosebud State Rec Area near the county seat to the scattered Radio Towers and Gravel Pits that signal the region's industrial activity.

Elevations rise toward the north and south, marked by distinctive landforms such as the Schoolmarm Buttes and the Porcupine Lookout. The extensive drainage system, including Machine Coulee and Box Elder Creek, illustrates the complex topography that early ranchers and surveyors navigated. Small reservoirs like the Big Reservoir and Corny Coulee Reservoir highlight the critical role of water management in this semi-arid ranching country.