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1943 Map of Spruce Mountain

Name: 1943 Topographic Map of Spruce Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

Hoh River homesteads and remote forest outposts define this 1943 topographical study produced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The landscape is characterized by the river systems of the Bogachiel River, Calawah River, and Sitkum River, which carve through the dense terrain of the Olympic National Forest. Throughout the Upper Hoh Valley, established family holdings such as the Schmidt Ranch, Snell Ranch, and Huelsdonk Ranch mark the limited extent of private settlement in this wilderness.

Beyond these riverside ranches, the map details the infrastructure of early 20th-century forest management and back-country travel. A network of primitive routes and trails connects vital stations like the Bogachiel Guard Station and the Flapjack Guard Station. Hikers and rangers relied on a chain of waypoints, including Hyas Shelter and the 15 Mile Shelter, providing a clear record of the area’s human geography before the expansion of modern road systems.