1949 Map of Oreana

About this map

Snake River canyon walls and the surrounding high desert plateaus define this Owyhee County landscape during the late 1940s. The map documents a sparsely populated ranching and passage territory, centered on the small settlement of Oreana and its associated Oreana Sch. Significant historical sites are noted along the river corridor, including the Otter Massacre Site and the trace of the Emigrant Road, which follows the high ground above Sinker Creek. Local land ownership and genealogy are represented through named landmarks like Gatica Ranch, the Jacob Reuben Graves site, and Morgan Place. Water management is critical in this arid environment, evidenced by Artesian Wells, the Foremans Reservoir, and a network of named drainages such as Castle Creek and Catherine Creek that flow toward the river's deep basalt-lined gorge at Swan Falls.