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1962 Map of Melstone NE

Name: 1962 Topographic Map of Melstone NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

The Musselshell River meanders through a landscape defined by mid-century energy development and irrigation on this Montana survey. The transition from ranching to oil extraction is evident across the terrain, with the Stensvad Oil Field, Ivanhoe Field, and Keggy Oil Field dotting the coulee-cut plains. Near the southern edge, the tiny settlement of Bascom sits along the tracks of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad, serving as a transit point for the region’s resources.

Hydrological engineering is captured in the Delphia Melstone Ditch, which pulls from the river to support the arid flats. The map also documents significant geological landmarks like Ivanhoe Dome and a network of named drainages including Seventynine Coulee and Home Creek. This record details a specific era of industrial and agricultural expansion in the Musselshell and Rosebud county borderlands.