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1950 Map of Grand Coulee Dam

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Grand Coulee Dam
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Franklin D Roosevelt Lake National Recreational Area dominates this mid-century landscape, created by the massive engineering of the Grand Coulee Dam. The map captures the infrastructure of the post-war era, from the Pumping Plant near the dam to the Grand Coulee Grange serving the agricultural communities to the south. The terrain is deeply carved by water and time, featuring dramatic local landmarks like Jack Woods Butte and the winding Swawilla Basin.

Settlement patterns show a mix of planned towns and scattered rural outposts. Grand Coulee and Coulee Dam sit at the center of regional activity, while smaller locales like Elmer City and Klobuschar anchor the surrounding heights. Genealogists will find the Lafollette Cem particularly notable, providing a specific point of reference for families settled in the high country between the Columbia River and the draws that lead toward the southern plains.