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1973 Map of Kirkpatrick Hill

Name: 1973 Topographic Map of Kirkpatrick Hill
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1976
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1976

About this map

Kirkpatrick Hill rises as a prominent landmark in this section of Custer County, overlooking a network of seasonal drainages including Pumpkin Creek and Ash Creek. The landscape reflects a ranching-focused economy in the early 1970s, where movement is dictated by the terrain of Criswell Coulee and Kirkpatrick Draw. Unlike more developed regions, the settlement pattern here is sparse and utilitarian, anchored by locations like the Allen Ranch and small rural education centers such as Ash Creek Sch and the SY School.

Water management and transportation are critical to life in this arid Custer County landscape, evidenced by the numerous wells and a network of unimproved roads and a Jeep Trail cutting across the north. The presence of Cottonwood Creek and Basin Creek in the south, alongside smaller tributaries like Betz Creek and Broughton Creek, outlines the natural basins that historically supported livestock and early homesteading efforts in this corner of Montana.