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1959 Map of Lawen

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Lawen
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1961
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1961

About this map

Malheur Lake and the vast marshlands of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge dominate this late-1950s landscape in Harney County. The drainage patterns of the high desert are intricately detailed, showing the West Fork Silvies River and East Fork Silvies River as they feed into the lake's basin. This era shows the developed infrastructure of the refuge, including the National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters, Sod House Dam, and the Sod House School near the Donner und Blitzen River.

Settlement is concentrated along the Union Pacific rail line, with the small communities of Lawen and Redess serving as focal points for the surrounding agricultural tracts like Big Red S Field. Notable geographic landmarks such as Wrights Point and The Narrows provide essential orientation in the flat, watery expanse of the Sunset Valley. For genealogists, the map preserves the location of a lone Cemetery and family-named landmarks like Island Ranch.