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1965 Map of Ritzville

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Ritzville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Lake Banks and the massive Grand Coulee dominate this mid-century landscape, illustrating a period of intense hydraulic and agricultural transformation across Central Washington. The map details the complex irrigation infrastructure of the era, from the North Dam and South Dam to the extensive Quincy Lateral and various pumping stations that redistributed water from the Columbia River. Industrial and military footprints are prominent, including the Utah and Idaho Sugar Refinery near Moses Lake, alongside Ephrata Air Base and Larson Air Force Base.

The rugged geography of the Chelan Mountains and Beezley Hills is punctuated by numerous grain elevators at rail sidings like Touhey and Supplee. Transportation networks are anchored by the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads, which served scattered settlements such as Mansfield, Davenport, and Harrington. Notable local landmarks range from the Spokane Molybdenum Mine to the Pearl Mountain Microwave Tower and Station, reflecting both the traditional resource extraction and the emerging telecommunications of the mid-1960s.