1954 Map of Jewel Cave SW

About this map

Black Hills National Forest land defines this corner of Custer County, where the topography transitions from the high ridges of the Elk Mountains into a complex system of drainage canyons. Surveyed in the early 1950s, the map reveals a remote landscape where water management was critical for survival and land use, evidenced by named water sources and small-scale infrastructure. Distinctive landmarks like Red Point and Pilger Mountain rise above the deep cuts of Hell Canyon and Tepee Canyon. The map records specific points of human activity in this sparsely populated terrain, including the Walsh Well and Pass Creek Well, alongside the Putnam Dam and Breasne Dam near the southern boundary. These labels offer a rare look at the named watering holes and cattle-handling improvements that sustained ranching in this portion of the Black Hills before modern developments altered the local backcountry.