Loading map...

1965 Map of Southeast Great Falls

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Southeast Great Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1977
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1977

About this map

Great Falls extends its southeastern edge into a landscape defined by industrial extraction and military presence in the mid-1960s. The northern reaches are dominated by Malmstrom Air Force Base and suburban growth near Pinski Park, while the southern terrain shifts toward the coal-mining history of the Smith River drainage. Significant mining activity is documented through numerous Mines and Air Shafts surrounding Sand Coulee and Centerville.

Transportation corridors follow the natural topography, with the Burlington Northern railroad skirting Sand Coulee Creek and the Lavin Spur reaching into the heart of the mining district. Unique local designations like Goon Grade and Goon Coulee sit alongside family-named landmarks such as Johnson Flats. The map also captures the local transition from agriculture to industry, visible in the cluster of Storage Bins and Gravel Pits that punctuate the plains between the city and the coulee-carved uplands.