1949 Map of Radersburg

About this map

Radersburg serves as the focal point of this high-plains landscape, situated at the edge of the Helena National Forest where the terrain transitions from the gulches of the Elkhorn Mountains into the valley of Crow Creek. The map records a significant mining history west of the settlement, with numerous claims such as the Keating Mines, Black Friday Mines, and Bonanza Mine dotting the drainages of Rattlesnake Creek and Johnny gulch. The irrigation infrastructure in the eastern valley is notably dense, featuring a network of water rights including the Tom Williams Ditch, Stevenson Ditch, and Barringer Ditch. This complex system of ditches and the presence of several schools, like the Crow Creek School and the abandoned Riverside School, reflect a rural economy built on both mineral extraction and hydraulic agriculture in the mid-20th century.