Loading map...

1951 Map of Pine Mountain SW

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Pine Mountain SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

The arid grasslands of central Wyoming are defined by the winding course of Poison Spider Creek and the early energy infrastructure that crossed this landscape in the mid-20th century. This 1951 field-checked survey reveals the scattered ranching and oil operations typical of Natrona County, anchored by Dodds Ranch and the isolated West Poison Spider Camp near the eastern edge. A persistent Telephone Line and the Poison Spider Road parallel the drainage, tracing the movement of people and resources between the high ridges like Dodds and the intricate draws below.

Water management is central to survival in this terrain, as evidenced by a labeled Ditch, various Windmills, and the network of intermittent streams including Austin Creek and Soap Creek. These water sources and the early Oil Well sites illustrate the dual-economic reliance on livestock and mineral extraction. The map also records the Burnt Wagon Draw, a name that hints at the earlier transit history of the region's pioneering routes.