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1897 Map of Little Belt Mts.

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Little Belt Mts.
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1897
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1897

About this map

White Sulphur Springs serves as a central hub in this late 19th-century survey of Central Montana, situated between the Little Belt Mountains to the north and the Crazy Mountains to the south. The area is defined by its early mining and ranching economy, with the Sapphire Mine located near Yogo Pk. and industrial outposts like Copperopolis and Neihart marking the landscape. This era of exploration reveals a network of mountain passes and watercourses, including the Musselshell River and Judith River, which supported small settlements like Martinsdale and Utica.

Insights into early territory organization are visible through the detailed county boundaries, including the intersections of Meagher, Cascade, Fergus, and Gallatin counties. The map documents numerous family-named peaks and landmarks, such as Williams Mt. and Smith Gordon Butte, reflecting the nomenclature established by early surveyors and settlers before many of these remote locales were consolidated or changed.