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1951 Map of Grosfield Ranch

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Grosfield Ranch
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Grosfield Ranch and surrounding Sweet Grass County uplands are documented here as they appeared in the early 1950s, shortly after the 1948 aerial surveys. This region of Montana illustrates a significant shift in rural land use, where several original family claims including the Vik Homestead, Langus Homestead, and Iverson Homestead are already marked as abandoned. These sites are situated near major natural corridors like Big Timber Canyon and the South Fork Big Timber Creek.

While some homesteads faded, others like the Plaggemeyer Homestead and John Nelson Homestead remained active alongside specialized operations such as the Buffalo Jump Ranch. The landscape is defined by the drainage systems of Swamp Creek and Whitetail Creek, which flank the prominent Whitetail Ridge. Complex networks of ditches throughout the quadrangle suggest a heavy reliance on managed water for ranching in the Long Gulch area.