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1953 Map of Spray

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Spray
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1960
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1960

About this map

The John Day River carves through the central Oregon landscape, anchoring the riverside town of Spray and its adjacent landing field. This mid-century survey reveals a complex network of canyons and high-desert terrain, where family-named locations like Corncob Ranch and small settlements like Winlock and Wetmore denote the human footprint in Wheeler County. To the north, the high timber of the Umatilla National Forest covers significant elevations, including Wheeler Pt and Collins Butte.

Strategic landmarks and named terrain features provide a detailed view of the era's land use, from the cemetery at Spray to the descriptive names of the surrounding peaks and ridges. Notable summits such as Massacre Mtn, Hoogie Doogie Mtn, and Sentinel Peak stand above deep drainages like Willis Canyon and Juniper Canyon. The map preserves the specific locations of remote springs, such as Flatiron Spring and High Spring, which were vital for life in this arid region before modern infrastructure.