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1970 Map of Hanks Gully

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of Hanks Gully
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The Little Missouri River meanders through this portion of the Badlands, defining a landscape of deeply eroded drainage systems and prominent landmarks. The boundary between McKenzie and Billings County crosses the central portion of the map, where the terrain is dominated by the plateaus and ridges of Rhoades. Numerous creeks, including Magpie Creek, Whitetail Creek, and Buckhorn Creek, carve through the earth to feed the river, creating the intricate network of coulees characteristic of western North Dakota.

Energy and resource extraction appear in the form of an Oil Well and a Scoria Pit, reflecting the area's industrial utility during the early 1970s. For those tracing the geography of the high plains, named high points such as Buckhorn Butte, Cedar Top Butte, and Anderson Butte provide critical orientation points. This survey captures a moment when the natural relief and the sparse infrastructure of the cattle and oil country remained the primary features of the land.