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1950 Map of Helena

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Helena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

Helena serves as the focal point of this mid-century survey, revealing the city's role as a regional hub of governance and institutional care just after the war. The map highlights significant land uses on the city's periphery, including the Veterans Administration Center and Fort William Henry Harrison, alongside social anchors like the St Joseph Orphan Home and the State Capitol. The influence of heavy infrastructure is visible in the paths of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads, which negotiate the drainage of Tenmile Creek and Sevenmile Creek.

Beyond the urban core, the landscape transitions into the wooded slopes of the Helena National Forest. Small mountain settlements and schoolhouses, such as Unionville and the Birdseye School, are scattered among the gulches and peaks like Mt Helena and Mt Ascension. Several significant burial grounds, including Forest Vale Cemetery and Saint Ann Cemetery, provide valuable data for genealogists tracing the community's development.