1953 Map of Oahe SW

About this map

The Bad River and the Chicago and North Western railroad corridor define the southern edge of this Stanley County landscape, surveyed in the early 1950s as part of the Department of the Interior's Missouri River Basin development program. North of the river valley, the terrain is shaped by a dense network of seasonal drainage systems, including Ash Creek, Lance Creek, and Broken Neck Creek. The naming of these features, along with Tomahawk Creek and Government Draw, reflects a rugged prairie geography defined by its hydrology. A singular landmark, Murray Butte, rises above the surrounding draws in the western portion of the sheet. The map captures a moment in the mid-20th century before significant modern infrastructure altered this ranching country, showing the proximity of rail and water that dictated early transit through the region.