1963 Map of Gorham SW

About this map

Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park borders the southern edge of this North Dakota landscape, where the deeply eroded badlands of Billings County transition into high plateau grazing lands. The drainage pattern of the area is defined by a network of seasonal watercourses, including Ash Coulee in the north and the meandering Franks Creek through the center. These creeks create a complex topography of ridges and draws that influenced the sparse settlement of the region during the early 1960s. Rural educational life is represented by the isolated Stevens Sch near the center of the sheet, while local industry is noted at the Scoria Pit near the southern boundary. The landscape is further marked by cattle-country landmarks such as Dawsons Waterhole and the headwaters of Government Creek, illustrating the reliance on scattered water sources in this semi-arid environment.