1981 Map of Shell Butte

About this map

Shell Butte and Big Hill anchor this high plains landscape in eastern Fallon County during the early 1980s. The terrain is defined by a dendritic network of drainages including Beaver Creek and Spring Creek, which reveal a sparsely populated ranching environment where water sources like numerous unnamed springs were critical to local land use. The small settlement of Schweigert sits in the southern portion of the map, marked by a nearby Radio Tower and Gravel Pit. Evidence of resource exploration is visible through several labeled wells and a Drill Hole scattered across the quadrangle, reflecting the region's energy and mineral interests. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of the Montana plains, from fence lines to remote tracks, before later development or changes in land management altered the footprint of these isolated outposts.