1954 Map of Missouri Buttes

About this map

The Missouri Buttes rise prominently in this 1954 preliminary survey of northeast Wyoming, a region documented here through the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey and the United States Atomic Energy Commission. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Belle Fourche River and high ridgelines like Cedar Divide and Divide. This mid-century view shows the sparse ranching and educational infrastructure of Crook County, including the Spring Lake Ranch and the Lower Cabin Creek School. Water sources were critical to the development of this area, as evidenced by the mapping of Spring Lake, Cold Spring, and numerous drainage systems such as Lytle Creek, Weehinkle Creek, and Cabin Creek. The map reflects a moment when aerial photography began to modernize topographic accuracy for mineral and land management.