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1956 Map of Oakridge

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Oakridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

Oakridge and Willamette City anchor the northwestern corner of this survey, marking a period of significant infrastructure development along the Middle Fork Willamette River. The most striking industrial change is the Hills Creek Dam, then under construction on Hills Creek. This massive engineering project was reshaping the local landscape and hydrology, eventually creating a reservoir where the river once flowed past Sand Prairie.

Further east and south, the Willamette National Forest is detailed with a network of forest camps and mountain lookouts. The Southern Pacific railroad line follows the course of Salt Creek, passing through high-elevation points like McCredie Springs and Wicopee. The map captures the remote character of the area through its many named buttes and mountains, including Stone Mountain and Warner Mountain, and specialized sites like Kitson Hot Springs. This era reflects the peak of federal forest management and the transition from river-bottom settlements to managed reservoir recreation.