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1906 Map of Hinsdale

Name: 1906 Topographic Map of Hinsdale
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Hinsdale serves as the primary railhead and settlement in this corner of Valley County, where the Great Northern railroad tracks parallel the winding path of the Milk River. The landscape is defined by an extensive network of early 20th-century family livestock operations, including Nelson's Ranch, Snieder's Ranch, and White's Ranch, which are distributed along the coulees and creek beds. This era of settlement is characterized by the critical importance of water access, with numerous small dams and the Canal system supporting the arid terrain.

North of the river, the boundary between Phillips and Valley Counties runs through a territory carved by Swanson Creek and Cash Creek. Geographers E.M. Douglas and H.L. Baldwin Jr. documented a pastoral economy in its early maturity, noted by the presence of the Rock Creek Schoolhouse and key river transit points like Miles Crossing. The southern portion of the map transitions into more broken country, marked by features such as Limekiln Coulee and Tank Coulee.