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1940 Map of Lebanon

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Lebanon
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1940
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1940

About this map

Lebanon anchors this Willamette Valley landscape, where the confluence of industry and agriculture is marked by the Albany Ditch and the Lebanon Ditch. The late-Depression era geography is defined by a dense network of rural one-room schoolhouses like Happy Home School, Providence School, and Spicer School, reflecting a time before district consolidation transformed these farming communities. The Southern Pacific railroad ties together small trackside settlements such as Shelburn, West Scio, and Gilkey, facilitating the movement of timber and crops through the valley.

Prominent landmarks such as Peterson Butte and Hungry Hill rise above the alluvial plains, while numerous named crossings like Schimonek Bridge and Claypool Bridge indicate the essential role of the Santiam River and South Santiam River in local transit. This tactical survey, revised as a W.P.A. project, captures the intricate drainage and settlement patterns along Crabtree Creek and Thomas Creek just before mid-century modernization shifted the rural landscape.