1948 Map of Medicine Lake

About this map

The Medicine Lake National Wildlife Refuge dominates this northeastern Montana landscape, where the vast water body is broken by significant landforms like Big Island and Youngs Island. Originally surveyed in the late 1940s and updated with 1980s aerial photography, the map reveals a critical conservation area managed from the Refuge Headquarters. The terrain is marked by essential infrastructure for wildlife management, including a Lookout Tower and the Patrol Trail. For those studying local heritage, the map identifies the Medicine Lake Cem and Homestead Cem near the southern boundary between Sheridan and Roosevelt counties. The drainage of McCabe Creek and the elevation at Umbrights Hill provide a clear view of the prairie pothole region's topography before modern shifts in land use.