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1971 Map of North Fork

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of North Fork
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The North Fork Humboldt River carves a critical corridor through this high-desert landscape, serving as the primary anchor for local ranching operations in the early 1970s. The settlement pattern is defined by family-named holdings positioned near water sources, including the Bellinger Ranch, Laing Ranch, and Truett Ranch. These locations represent the enduring agricultural legacy of Elko County, where access to the river and its tributaries like Pratt Creek and Foreman Creek dictated the placement of homesteads.

Transportation is dominated by rugged Jeep Trails and a small Landing Strip near Holland Ranch, illustrating the necessity of versatile travel in this basin-and-range environment. The terrain rises into Dorsey Canyon to the east, while the southern reaches feature the Rancho Grande and McGinnis Ranch. This survey provides a clear look at the dispersed rural economy and the network of natural Springs and named creeks, such as Chicken Creek, that supported life here before later modernizations.