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1950 Map of Penawawa

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Penawawa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

The Snake River carves a deep path through this portion of southeastern Washington, separating Whitman and Garfield counties. Along the northern banks, the small settlement of Penawawa sits near a bend in the river, adjacent to the U P & N P RR tracks and a local Cem. The landscape is defined by its series of river bars, including Rice Bar, Swift, and Schultz Bar, which provided critical flat ground for early activity before the valley's later inundation by dam projects.

South of the river, the topography transitions into a complex network of ridges and deep drainages like Deadman Creek and Ping Gulch. High-elevation landmarks such as Wild Horse Hill and the community of Gould City stand above the dramatic drops of Penawawa Canyon. This 1950 field-checked survey reveals the mid-century agricultural and transit patterns of the region, where family-named features like Heaton Gulch and Ben Day Gulch speak to the local homesteading history of the Palouse and Snake River breaks.