1951 Map of Mule Butte

About this map

The Wind River Indian Reservation landscape is defined by the complex hydraulic engineering of the Riverton Reclamation Project and the winding confluence of the Wind River and Little Wind River. This 1951 survey documents the intricate network of the Le Clair Canal, Blackburn Ditch, and Hansen Drain as they traverse the Johnstown Valley and Riverview Valley. The interaction between these irrigation systems and the natural terrain around Mule Butte and the Red Buttes illustrates the mid-century effort to transform this arid Wyoming basin into productive agricultural land. Local history is anchored by the Shakespeare Cem and St Michael, providing specific points of interest for genealogists tracing early families in this part of Fremont County near the Wind River Base Line.