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1954 Map of Fourmile

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Fourmile
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

Black Hills National Forest land defines this mid-century landscape, where a legacy of mining activity is recorded across the high terrain of Custer County. The settlement at Fourmile serves as a central point for the surrounding resource extraction, which includes numerous named claims such as the White Spar Mine, Helen Beryl Mine, and the Rainbow No 4 Mine. The map documents a period of development where small rural institutions like the Fourmile Sch and Sevenmile Sch remained critical to the local community.

Water management in this arid mountain environment is evidenced by features like the Venting Reservoir, McClure Dam, and Ward Reservoir, alongside natural sources like Carroll Creek Spring. Terrain landmarks such as Castle Rock, Iron Mountain, and Twin Sisters provide significant verticality to the survey, while drainage patterns through Warren Gulch and Lightning Creek reveal the natural corridors used for travel and prospecting throughout the 1950s.