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1954 Map of Mount Rushmore

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Mount Rushmore
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Mount Rushmore National Memorial anchors the southern portion of this mid-century survey, shown alongside the detailed mining and railroad landscape that defined the region's early development. The Chicago Burlington and Quincy rail line winds along Battle Creek, serving the town of Keystone and the heavy concentration of industrial sites nearby. The map documents a dense network of mining operations, including the Holy Terror Mine, Peerless Mine, and Hugo Mine, illustrating the intense extraction of minerals from the Black Hills National Forest.

North of the memorial, the terrain transitions into the recreation-focused area around Sheridan Lake and Horse Thief Lake. Prominent summits like Old Baldy Mountain and Samelius Peak rise above deep drainages such as Grizzly Bear Gulch and Lafferty Gulch. The presence of the Keystone Cem and the Harney Ranger Station provides specific points of interest for genealogists and local historians tracking the community infrastructure of the 1950s.