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1957 Map of Lone Indian Butte

Name: 1957 Topographic Map of Lone Indian Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Sweet Grass Creek flows through a landscape of sharply defined drainages and high points in this late-1950s survey of Sweet Grass County. The topography is anchored by the prominent Lone Indian Butte and the twin peaks of Squaw Teats, rising above a series of deeply etched ravines including Norman Gulch and Barney Gulch. This map illustrates the rugged transition from lower creek beds to higher rimrocks, providing a clear view of how early ranching or travel routes likely navigated the terrain.

Water management and boundary lines are central to the map's layout, featuring a long pipeline and the intersection of various township and range lines. Seasonal drainages such as Deadmans Creek and Fletcher Creek feed into larger basins like Shanks Basin, while the presence of Hangmans Gulch hints at the local lore and harsh realities of the frontier era. This document serves as a detailed record of the land before significant modern development altered its cattle-country character.