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1963 Map of Musselshell

Name: 1963 Topographic Map of Musselshell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1966
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1966

About this map

The Musselshell River winds through a landscape of high prairie and coulees, defining the geography of the central Montana plains in the early 1960s. The settlement of Musselshell serves as the focal point, situated along the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad line. This rail-and-river corridor supported a agricultural and industrial network, including storage bins, a Gaging Sta, and an Athletic Field. Further west, the locale of Goffena marks a distinct point of interest for local historians.

Energy development is evident in the north, where the Melstone Oil Field and various pipelines cross the terrain. Irrigation infrastructure is equally prominent, with the Musselshell D Co Canal, Melstone Ditch, and Chandler Ditch siphoning water from the river to support local ranching. The presence of a Mine and Gravel Pit indicates the era's reliance on local natural resources, while the complex terrain of McLean Coulee and Fourmile Creek frames the bottomlands.