1906 Map of Mitchell Butte

About this map

The Vale and Nyssa settlements anchor this eastern Oregon landscape at a time when irrigation was beginning to transform the arid basin. A sophisticated network of early water engineering is visible north of the Malheur River, where the Farmers Ditch, Vine's Ditch, and McLaughlin Ditch divert water to homesteads across the sagebrush. Further south, the map documents the serpentine path of the Owyhee River as it cuts through the high desert, passing beneath Mitchell Butte and through the distinctive canyon at Hole in the Ground. This survey captures the region's early ranching footprint, locating isolated outposts like Isaacs Ranch and Prices Ranch amidst a terrain defined by landmarks like Grassy Mountain and Graveyard Point. The presence of numerous named water sources, such as Hanging Rock Spring and Sagebrush Corral Spring, highlights the critical importance of reliable water for travel and livestock in the pre-dam era.