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1979 Map of La Grande

Name: 1979 Topographic Map of La Grande
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The Grande Ronde Valley serves as the focal point for this 1970s landscape, where the agricultural and industrial hub of La Grande meets the steep transition into the Blue Mountains. In the valley floor, the Union Pacific Railroad tracks parallel the Grande Ronde River, connecting established settlements like Island City and Summerville to the regional rail network. This map documents a complex landscape of public land use, showing the early boundaries of the Starkey Experimental Forest and the Umatilla National Forest.

Evidence of historical transit and resource extraction is scattered across the higher elevations, from the California Trail corridors used by early settlers to the Camp Carson Mine located near the headwaters of the Grande Ronde River. Significant conservation and recreation areas such as the Ladd Marsh Game Management Area and Hilgard Junction State Park provide insight into the state's land management priorities during this era of environmental awareness.