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1951 Map of Mc Leod

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Mc Leod
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Boulder River valley in south-central Montana is defined by an intricate network of irrigation canals and a legacy of early high-country settlement. In the early 1950s, the landscape around Mc Leod was dominated by large-scale water management projects, including the Smoot Ditch, Mc Comb Ditch, and Schmidelkoffer-Dutton-Vogers Ditch, which directed water from the river to the surrounding benchlands.

For genealogists and local historians, this survey is particularly valuable for its documentation of family-named landmarks and the transition of early 20th-century ranching. The map identifies numerous sites marked as abandoned, such as the Hovseth Homestead and Thurman Homestead, reflecting a period of consolidation in the ranching community. Educational and social centers like the Dutton School and the active L W Ranch are preserved here, set against the backdrop of the Gallatin National Forest and landmarks like Antelope Butte.