1968 Map of Service Buttes NW

About this map

The boundary between Morrow and Umatilla counties runs through this high desert landscape, dominated by shifting Sand Dunes and deep-cut drainages like Fourmile Canyon. The area exhibits a sparse settlement pattern characteristic of late 1960s eastern Oregon, where infrastructure is dictated by the arid environment and agricultural needs. The most prominent historical marker is the route of the Oregon Trail, which cuts across the terrain as a reminder of earlier migrations through this scrubland. In the southeastern corner, life centers on the riparian corridor of Butter Creek, where the presence of a Landing Strip, Storage Bin, and several Gravel Pit locations indicates a working landscape of ranching and resource extraction. Significant elevation changes are marked by Ward Butte, while the isolated junction at Four Corners serves as a navigational waypoint in a region otherwise defined by long fence lines and utility corridors like the northern Pipeline.