1958 Map of Lone Butte

About this map

The Little Missouri River meanders through this landscape, carving through the badlands of McKenzie County. This map documents a stretch of the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park along its western edge, where the terrain rises toward high plateaus. The topography is dominated by distinct landforms like Lone Butte, Morman Butte, and Square Top, which served as critical navigation points for early ranchers and travelers in the Missouri River Basin. The presence of the Murray Ranch near the riverbank illustrates the historical reliance on these waterways for early agricultural development. This survey was conducted as part of the Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, capturing the network of ephemeral drainages such as Spring Creek, Dry Creek, and Sand Creek that define the hydraulic character of the region.