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1950 Map of Hay

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Hay
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Snake River navigation and grain-belt logistics define this mid-century landscape where Whitman, Columbia, and Garfield counties converge. The small settlement of Hay serves as a focal point for the Union Pacific railroad lines that parallel Alkali Flat Creek, while the Central Ferry crossing remains a critical link for the Pacific Highway across the deep river canyon. Along the northern plateaus, the Selbu Church and Selbu Cem stand as markers of the area's rural community life.

Further south, the landscape transitions through a series of named gulches and flats like New York Bar and Wild Goose Bar, leading toward the Pataha Valley. This valley is anchored by agricultural social hubs such as the Pataha Valley Grange and Pataha Valley School. The presence of numerous windmills and isolated water tanks across the hillsides illustrates the continuous effort to manage water in this dry, wheat-growing region before the major changes brought by later dam projects.