Loading map...

1953 Map of O'Hanlon Coulee

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of O'Hanlon Coulee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Missouri River carves a winding path through Chouteau County in this mid-century survey, creating prominent landmarks like Evans Bend and the sandy reaches of Shonkin Bar. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition from the flat agricultural expanses of Rowe Bench to the deeply eroded drainage systems of O'Hanlon Coulee and Early Coulee. This topography reveals a high-plains ranching economy where homesteads were strategically sited near water sources and coulee bottoms.

Evidence of early rural community life is anchored by the Rode School (Aband) and a series of family-named holdings, including the Streit Ranch and O' Hara Bros Ranch. Transportation in the region is dominated by the Great Northern railroad line, which skirts the river's southern bank. The presence of numerous windmills and an Artesian Well underscore the vital importance of water management in this Montana landscape, where Frenchmans Ridge and Shaws Peak rise above the complex network of draws and breaks.