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1898 Map of Nampa

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Nampa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1898
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1898

About this map

The Oregon Short Line and Boise Branch railroads anchor this late nineteenth-century portrait of the Treasure Valley, where an extensive network of human-made waterways transformed the arid landscape. The expansion of irrigation is evident through numerous major projects, including the Payette Valley Irrigation Canal, the Reed Canal, and the Phyllis Canal, which distribute water from the Payette River and Boise River across the flatlands.

Settlement patterns are firmly established at regional hubs like Nampa, Caldwell, and Emmett, while smaller rural centers such as Falks Store, Roswell, and Notus serve the surrounding agricultural districts. The map documents the vast expanse of Deer Flat before the construction of later reservoirs, and marks the confluence of smaller drainages like Sand Hollow Creek and Tenmile Cr. as they flow toward the Snake River at the Oregon border. It provides a technical record of early Western reclamation efforts during a pivotal era of growth.