1952 Map of Gas Hills

About this map

Beaver Rim dominates the southern landscape of this 1952 survey, marking the dramatic boundary where the High Plains drop away at the Fremont and Natrona County line. This arid basin, mapped as part of the Missouri River Basin development program, captures the area just as uranium exploration began to transform the Gas Hills. While the landscape is defined by drainage systems like Fraser Draw and Reid Draw, human activity is limited to a few water developments such as Medicine Springs Reservoir and Canyon Creek Reservoir. Evidence of early industrial attempts appears in the Dutton Basin, where an Oil Well (Aband) and various unimproved trails suggest the search for natural resources in this isolated terrain. The map serves as a primary record of the topography before significant mining infrastructure altered the local surface.