1967 Map of Pompeys Pillar

About this map

The Yellowstone River corridor serves as the primary artery for both transportation and irrigation in this mid-century Montana landscape. Just south of the river, the historic Lewis and Clark Trail and the Northern Pacific railroad parallel the water, passing the landmark of Pompeys Pillar. The terrain transition is sharp, moving from the flat, irrigated valley floor defined by the Huntley Main Canal and Reservoir Line Canal into the dissected uplands of Smith Coulee and Lost Boy Creek. In the southern reaches of the map, the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad cuts across the Barley Coulee region near the border of Yellowstone Co Big Horn Co. This survey documents a critical intersection of western history and agricultural development, where natural drainages like Fly Creek were augmented by man-made infrastructure like the Highline Canal and Anita Reservoir.