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1953 Map of Oahe SW

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Oahe SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

Murray Butte rises as a prominent landmark in this mid-century survey of Stanley County, where the high plains are deeply etched by a complex drainage network. The Bad River flows along the southern edge of the sheet, its course shadowed by the Chicago and North Western railroad. This map, produced as part of the Department of the Interior's Missouri River Basin development program, provides a detailed look at the rural landscape before modern agricultural shifts or infrastructure changed the character of the terrain.

Water is the defining feature of this territory, with numerous named seasonal and permanent streams carving through the hills. From the northern reach of Government Draw and Ash Creek to the central drainages of Lance Creek and Broken Neck Creek, the topography reveals the intricate erosion patterns typical of the region. Local history researchers can trace the old paths of Tomahawk Creek and Deep Creek as they descend toward the river valley.