Loading map...

1899 Map of Helena

Name: 1899 Topographic Map of Helena
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Continental Divide dictates the flow of commerce and water across this Montana landscape, surveyed in the final years of the nineteenth century by Henry Gannett and his team. The capital of Helena sits as a regional hub beneath Mt. Helena, with the Scratchgravel Hills to its north and the sprawling Helena National Forest defining the central mountain ranges. The map reveals an intensive mining and transportation network, with the Northern Pacific R.R. and Great Northern R.R. threading through high passes like Mullen Pass and Priests Pass to connect emerging industrial centers.

Industrial activity is evident at Pikes Peak Mill and the Comet mine, while the southern margin captures the density of Butte, Walkerville, and Anaconda. Local history is preserved in the location of early settlements like Marysville and Rimini, as well as military presence at Ft. Harrison. The drainage patterns of the Blackfoot River and Clark Fork provide the hydrological framework for the Garnet Range and the surrounding gold-rich gulches.