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1959 Map of Ritzville

Name: 1959 Topographic Map of Ritzville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Grand Coulee Dam and the sprawling waters of Franklin D Roosevelt Lake dominate the northern reaches of this mid-century survey. The landscape is a study in 1950s water management and agricultural expansion, evidenced by the Grand Coulee Equalizing Reservoir and the O'Sullivan Reservoir. These massive projects transformed the arid Lava plateaus and coulees, such as Moses Coulee and Grand Coulee, into a productive region connected by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads.

Military and civil infrastructure is well-defined, including the Larson Air Force Base near Moses Lake and the Pearl Mountain Microwave Tower and Station. From the county seat at Ritzville to smaller rail stops like Telford Station and Mohler, the map traces a network of rural communities including Mansfield, Ephrata, and Davenport. Indigenous lands are represented by the Colville Indian Reservation and Spokane Indian Reservation along the northern river breaks.