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1932 Map of Libby

Name: 1932 Topographic Map of Libby
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1932
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1932

About this map

Troy and Libby anchor this early 1930s survey of the northwestern Montana mountains, where the industrial footprint of the Great Northern railroad follows the curve of the Kootenai River. The landscape is dominated by the Purcell Mountains and Cabinet Mountains, territories defined by high-altitude lookout stations such as those on Spar Peak and Goat Mtn.

Mineral extraction is central to the era's geography, with the Snowstorm Mine and Snowshoe Mine situated deep within the rugged creek drainages. Significant topographic features like Kootenai Falls and the Bull Lake basin are clearly delineated, alongside smaller points of local interest like the Bull River Sch and the settlement at Old Town. The survey also documents the transition between the Kootenai National Forest and the Bitterroot Mts, capturing a moment when the region relied heavily on fire lookouts and river-adjacent rail lines for connectivity.