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1955 Map of Jewel Cave NW

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Jewel Cave NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

Jewel Cave National Monument and the surrounding timberlands of the Black Hills National Forest dominate this mid-century topographic study. The landscape is defined by deep, winding drainages such as Hell Canyon, Tepee Canyon, and Buck Spring Canyon, which create a complex network of ridges and draws across the Custer County terrain.

Settlement patterns in the 1950s are sparse, characterized by isolated outposts like the X-T Ranch, Soper Ranch, and the small community of Gillette. Educational history is preserved through the locations of the Lauzon Sch and the Elk Mountain Sch (Abandoned), the latter already marked as disused by the time of the field check. Resource management is centered at the Tepee Ranger Station, while essential water sources like Baldwin Spring, Sawmill Spring, and Jumpoff Spring reveal the vital importance of natural water points for livestock and forestry in this arid, high-altitude environment.