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1942 Map of Silvertip

Name: 1942 Topographic Map of Silvertip
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1942
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1942

About this map

Big Prairie Ranger Sta serves as a remote hub in this high mountain landscape, anchoring a network of backcountry communications and fire management. Surveyed in 1936, the map reveals a rugged wilderness structured by primitive guard stations and essential air access points like the Black Bear Landing Field and Meadow Creek Landing Field. These landing strips, often situated along the winding courses of the South Fork Flathead River and the Spotted Bear River, were critical for supplies and rapid response in an era when heavy timber and high peaks dictated the pace of travel.

Researchers will find a landscape dotted with specific human traces, from the Limestone Cabin and Meadow Creek Cabin to numerous fire lookouts such as Charlotte Pk Lookout and Bunker Lookout. Large water bodies like Big Salmon Lake and the confluence of Little Salmon Creek provide clear orientation points within the dense topography. The presence of the Black Bear Guard Sta and Indian Creek Guard Sta highlights the early administrative footprint of the national forest system before modern road networks.