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1953 Map of Kalama

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Kalama
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Columbia River serves as the dominant artery of this 1953 survey, where the riverfront bustle of Kalama contrasts with the steep, timbered hills to the east. This section of the river is a major transit corridor, showing the shared tracks of the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, and Union Pacific railroads hugging the shoreline alongside Highway 99. These tracks and roads connect riverside points like Carrolls and Goble, Oregon, while the Kalama River cuts through the interior, past Marietta Falls and the Salmon Hatchery.

Away from the water, the landscape transitions into the smaller, upland communities of Rose Valley and Vision Acres. Local genealogy is well-preserved here through family-named sites and rural institutions, including the Rose Valley School, Rose Valley Cemetery, and Mt Pleasant Cem perched near Mt Pleasant. The map details a moment of mid-century infrastructure before modern freeway expansions significantly altered the riverbank's character.