1912 Map of Hay Creek

About this map

The Fort Peck Indian Reservation defines this northern Montana landscape, surveyed in 1909 before the reservation was fully opened to homesteading. The terrain is characterized by a high, dissected plateau where the meandering Poplar River cuts a wide, alluvial valley through the center of the sheet. Human presence at this early date is sparse, centered on isolated holdings like Kirns Ranch situated along the riverbank. Drainage patterns are dominated by the eponymous Hay Creek and the western edge of Smoke Creek, illustrating the complex network of coulees and ridges that dictated early ranching routes and water access in Valley County. This survey by the General Land Office and the U.S. Geological Survey provides a precise record of the land just as it was being partitioned into townships and sections for future development.