1957 Map of Rathbun Ranch

About this map

Scattered ranching operations define the remote drainages of Hot Springs County in the late 1950s, where seasonal grazing and water management dictate the settlement pattern. The landscape is structured around the winding course of Kirby Creek and its many tributaries, including West Kirby Creek and Ackles Fork. Family-held landholdings are the primary landmarks, ranging from the Hayes Winter Ranch and Gardner Winter Ranch in the north to the Rathbun Ranch and Bloomquist Ranch further south. These sites, along with the Day Homestead, represent a high-desert agricultural economy reliant on isolated water sources like the Kirby Reservoir. The terrain rises sharply toward the southern boundary at Lysite Mountain, while prominent landforms like Hall Butte provide navigational markers across the rugged breaks and draws of the Missouri River Basin development area.