1963 Map of Spring Butte

About this map

Deschutes National Forest spans this high desert landscape, defined by a series of volcanic features and sparse watering points in the early 1960s. The terrain is dominated by prominent cinder cones including Spring Butte, Green Butte, and Ipswoot Butte, which provided vital vantage points for fire lookouts like the one at Lookout Spring Butte. The presence of a Cinder Pit near Sand Flat indicates localized mineral extraction, likely for road surfacing or construction materials in this remote section of the Oregon Cascades. Regional infrastructure is limited to the Jones Well Guard Station and a network of unimproved routes, with water resources such as the Spring Butte Well and Jones Well serving as essential markers for Forest Service operations and range management. This map documents a quiet, utilitarian era of public land administration where three county lines converge amidst a vast stretch of lodgepole and volcanic soil.