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1901 Map of Hamilton

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Hamilton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1925
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1925

About this map

The Bitterroot Valley serves as a thriving agricultural and industrial corridor on this 1890s-era survey, anchored by the town of Hamilton and the Northern Pacific Railroad. Along the valley floor, a network of irrigation ditches like the Hedge Ditch and Republican Ditch supports settlements including Victor, Corvallis, and Grantsdale. To the west, the landscape rises sharply into the Bitterroot Mountains, where the Idaho Montana Boundary Line follows the high crests above alpine waters such as Canyon Lake and Como Lake.

Mining activity is concentrated near the northern valley margins, evidenced by the Curlew Mines and Bluebird Mine near Dutch Hill. The map also captures early recreational landmarks like the Weeping Child Hot Springs tucked into the foothills of the Bitterroot National Forest. This document records the early development of Ravalli County before the massive expansion of twentieth-century timber and water projects.