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1951 Map of Raspberry Butte

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Raspberry Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Crazy Mountains dominate this high-altitude landscape of Sweet Grass County, where the Gallatin National Forest meets a network of early family ranching operations. The topography is defined by the headwaters of several drainages, including South Fork Big Timber Creek and the North Fork Little Timber Creek, which carve deep canyons below Raspberry Butte and Kid Royal Mtn.

Homesteaders and ranchers established themselves along these valley floors, leaving a clear record of 20th-century land use through sites like the Grosfield Homestead, Beley Homestead, and Dugout Ranch. The presence of the Swamp Creek School and various irrigation structures, including a Ditch near Swamp Creek, suggests a self-sufficient mountain community built around livestock and timber. Notable features like Beley Lakes and Sawmill Creek further illustrate the reliance on local water and timber resources during this era of development.