1980 Map of Otter Creek West

About this map

The Heart River meanders through the northern reaches of this Grant County landscape, joined by the waters of Big Muddy Creek near the Thompson Bridge. This 1980 survey illustrates a characteristic North Dakota terrain defined by high buttes and deeply incised drainage channels, such as Griner Coulee, Snake Coulee, and Pony Coulee. These landforms dictate the placement of rural infrastructure, with small-scale water management visible at Cat Coulee Dam. Evidence of early community life is found at the Otter Creek Cemetery, which sits above its namesake Otter Creek in the southeastern quadrant. Higher elevations are marked by distinctive landmarks like Point Butte and Devils Butte, providing significant navigational reference points across the rolling prairie. This map preserves the spatial relationship between these natural features and the scattered farmsteads of the era.