1997 Map of Gibbons School

About this map

Mussigbrod Creek descends through high Montana valley lands toward the meandering marshlands of the North Fork Big Hole River, illustrating the ranching and educational foundations of late-20th-century Beaverhead County. The map documents a landscape defined by large family holdings, including the Parsons Ranch, Gallup Ranch, and the Tope Ranch. At the heart of this rural network stands the Gibbons Sch and the small settlement of Gibbons, serving as the community hub for scattered residents like Ray Bacon and M Heggelund. Across the southern reach of the quadrangle, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail follows a path through the valley, anchoring the region's ranching present to its deep western heritage. The western edge is bounded by the timbered slopes of the Beaverhead National Forest, while the river plains are marked by irrigation wells and wetlands.