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1955 Map of Lake Ione

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Lake Ione
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Schmale Bros Ranch stands as a primary settlement marker in this mid-century look at the high plains of Albany County. The landscape is defined by an intricate network of water management, where the Laramie River is diverted through numerous named engineering works such as the Dunn and Gillespie Ditch and the Boughton Canal. These systems feed significant water bodies like Long Lake, Lake Ione, and Gillespie Reservoir, illustrating the intensive irrigation required to support ranching in this arid environment.

The Divide cuts through the western portion of the map, separating drainage basins and influencing the placement of smaller waterways like Middle Creek. Local industry and infrastructure are represented by features like a Gravel Pit and several named ditches, including the Wallrock Ditch and Spoil Bank Ditch, which reveal the physical labor involved in transforming the territory for agricultural use.