1955 Map of Pullman

About this map

The confluence of the Snake River and Clearwater River serves as the geographic anchor for this 1955 survey, revised in the mid-1970s. The map details the borderlands of Washington and Idaho, where the Palouse hills transition into the steep timberlands of the St Joe National Forest and Clearwater National Forest. The regional economy of the mid-20th century is clearly visible through the dense network of the Union Pacific RR, Northern Pacific RR, and the Camas Prairie RR, which served the grain-growing plateaus and timber stands. Higher elevations are marked by distinctive landmarks like Steptoe Butte and Moscow Mountain, while the southern reaches descend into the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. Significant infrastructure changes of the era are evident in the presence of the Dworshak Reservoir, illustrating the evolving management of the region's massive water systems for power and transit.