1960 Map of Mission Creek

About this map

The confluence of the Yellowstone River and the Bighorn River forms a critical landscape of irrigated agriculture and transport in this 1960 study. The intricate irrigation network, including the Waco Custer Canal, Victory Ditch, and Two Leggins Canal, transformed the floodplains of Big Bottom and Mission Bottom into productive land. This transformation is anchored by the Northern Pacific railroad, which follows the Yellowstone valley, connecting rural outposts and providing a backbone for the regional economy. Family-held lands like the Steele Ranch and Wolfe Ranch dot the riverbanks, while the surrounding upland is defined by numerous coulees such as Cubbison Coulee and Andresen Coulee. The mapping also highlights the complex jurisdictional boundaries where Yellowstone, Bighorn, and Treasure Counties meet.