1955 Map of Grangeville

About this map

Grangeville and the high plateaus of central Idaho overlook a landscape defined by the deep canyons of the Snake River and Salmon River in this mid-century topographic survey. The rugged transition from the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon to the Seven Devils Mountains in Idaho is documented just as the region's hydroelectric infrastructure was expanding, evidenced by Oxbow Reservoir and Hells Canyon Reservoir along the state line. Agriculture and timber interests are centered around valley settlements like Enterprise and Joseph, while the Union Pacific RR provides a critical transportation corridor through the western reaches of the map near Union and North Powder. The map captures the vast reaches of the Nezperce National Forest and Wallowa National Forest, highlighting a period of intense natural resource management and the early development of modern mountain access roads like U.S. 95 and Or 82.