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1969 Map of Red Lodge East

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Red Lodge East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The mountain-front mining and ranching economy of Carbon County is clearly etched into the landscape surrounding Red Lodge. Situated where the Burlington Northern railroad meets the base of the mountains, the town serves as a hub for the various gulches and benches that define this region. To the east, the settlement of Bearcreek and the neighboring community of Washoe highlight a corridor once dominated by coal extraction, evidenced by the dense cluster of sites like the Brophy Mine, Smith Mine, and Foster Mine.

Agricultural infrastructure is equally prominent, with complex irrigation systems like the Rock Creek Ditch and Bailey Ditch drawing water across the East Bench and West Bench. For local historians, the presence of the Clear Creek School and Clear Creek Cem provides a look into the rural social foundations of the late 1960s, while numerous oil wells and gravel pits indicate the area's continued reliance on natural resource development during this period.