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1963 Map of Gouchnour Ranch

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Gouchnour Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Gouchnour Ranch and the Eberl Ranch anchor this mid-century look at the agricultural landscape of Lewis and Clark County. The map reveals a complex water management system critical for high-plains ranching, featuring the Florence Canal and several significant irrigation works like the Little Clemons Ditch and Bickle Burke Ditch. These man-made channels divert water across a terrain defined by the natural courses of Elk Creek, Spring Creek, and the seasonally variable Dry Creek.

Transportation in the early 1960s was supported by local thoroughfares such as Eberl and Lane, while a large Pipeline traverses the northern sections. Topographic details include the presence of Meyer Lake and a scattered network of watering holes labeled simply as Spring or Well, alongside industrial markers like a Gravel Pit. The map's inclusion of fine red dashed lines for selected fence lines offers an unusually specific view of property boundaries and grazing patterns during this era.