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1988 Map of Rye Valley

Name: 1988 Topographic Map of Rye Valley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1988
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1988

About this map

The gold-mining legacy of Eastern Oregon is clearly defined across Rye Valley in this late 1980s topographical study. A series of Placer Mine and Placer Mines labels follow the drainages of Rattlesnake Gulch and the North Fork, illustrating the intensity of extraction in this corner of the state. These operations, coupled with the presence of a lone Cem in the northern valley, point to the localized settlement patterns that once thrived around these mineral deposits.

The terrain is defined by the high elevations of Pedro Mountain and Weatherby Mountain, separated by the dramatic Shoestring Grade. Water is a critical resource in this arid environment, marked by numerous developed points such as Cinder Butte Well and Table Mtn Well. Straddling the border of Baker Co and Malheur Co, the map documents a landscape of high-desert ranching and prospecting where names like Whisky Gulch and Water Trough Draw tell the story of early frontier utility.