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1955 Map of Preston

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Preston
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1983
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1983

About this map

Preston and the surrounding Bear River Valley anchor this mid-century look at the Idaho-Wyoming borderlands. The landscape is defined by the sharp transition between agricultural settlements and the high elevations of the Caribou National Forest and Bridger National Forest. The Bear River winds southward toward the massive expanse of Bear Lake, while the Blackfoot Lava Field to the northwest reveals the region's complex volcanic geology.

Logistics and transport are dominated by the Union Pacific RR and the historic Oregon Short Line RR, which connected remote outposts like Soda Springs, Bancroft, and Montpelier. Small Mormon settlements like Franklin, Weston, and St Charles are clearly mapped, showing the early 20th-century footprint of irrigation and ranching before modern highway expansion. The presence of the Fort Hall Indian Reservation and various wildlife refuges illustrates the intersection of federal land management and tribal heritage in this corner of the Great Basin.