1972 Map of Martinsdale

About this map

Martinsdale and the nearby Martinsdale Colony anchor this central Montana landscape where the North Fork Musselshell River and South Fork converge. The topography is dominated by the massive Gordon Butte to the southwest, while the human footprint is defined by the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad line cutting through the valley. The presence of an Aqueduct feeding into the large Martinsdale Reservoir highlights the critical role of water management in this high-plains environment during the early 1970s. Local history is preserved in the location of a Cem (cemetery) north of the river and several scattered Gravel Pits and Wells, indicating the rural industries and resources of Meagher and Wheatland counties. From the rugged slopes of Gillis to the riparian flats along Little Elk Creek, the map details a ranching and transit corridor at a quiet moment in the late twentieth century.