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1893 Map of Mountain Home

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Mountain Home
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1948
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1948

About this map

Mountain Home serves as the central hub of this late 19th-century landscape, situated along the vital transport artery of the Oregon Short Line Railroad. This reconnaissance-style mapping captures the high desert and rugged canyonlands of Elmore County as they appeared just years after the railroad's arrival transformed the region's economy. To the north, the Boise River carves through the terrain, with the Boise National Forest and Smith Prairie defining the northern reaches of the quadrangle.

The map reveals a network of drainages essential to early ranching and settlement, including Rattlesnake Creek and Cañon Creek. The presence of Cleft along the rail line highlights the importance of small water stops and sidings in an arid environment. From the northern timberlands to the southern passage of the Snake R, this survey documents the transition from a wilderness frontier to a managed territory of rail and river commerce.