1953 Map of Loma East

About this map

The confluence of the Marias River and the Missouri River anchors this mid-century survey of Chouteau County. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition between the alluvial bottomlands and the elevated plains of Rowe Bench. Near the settlement of Loma, the river system creates complex terrain features like Archers Island and Churchill Bend, while the Great Northern railroad tracks follow the water's path through the valley. This era reveals a river-oriented economy before modern bridges superseded the old crossings, as evidenced by the Loma Ferry near the mouth of the Marias. Farther east, the West Wayside School and several windmills indicate the sparse but established ranching and farming community occupying the higher ground above the Black Bluffs.