1954 Map of Lewistown

About this map

The Judith River and Missouri River converge in this central Montana landscape, where the grain-growing plains of the Judith Basin meet the timbered heights of the Snowy Mountains and the Little Rockies. As of the mid-1950s, Lewistown serves as the regional hub, its significance reflected in the convergence of the Great Northern and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroads. The map details a transition in the local economy, from the established agricultural settlements of Denton and Winifred to the rugged brakes of the Charles M Russell National Wildlife Range. Water management and conservation are central themes, evidenced by the Fort Peck Reservoir in the northeast and isolated wildlife units like War Horse N W R. Notable for genealogists are the smaller settlements like Giltedge and Landusky, which stand as relics of earlier mining and ranching eras.