1960 Map of Steie Ranch

About this map

The Steie Ranch area in Treasure County is characterized by the complex drainage systems of the Missouri River Basin during the early 1960s. This land, mapped as part of a Department of the Interior development program, is defined by the convergence of the East Fork and West Fork alongside the evocatively named Froze to Death Creek. The landscape transition across the Rosebud Co Treasure Co line reveals a terrain dictated by natural coulees and springs, such as Geyser Spring Coulee. The presence of the ranch itself alongside flowing wells suggests a precarious reliance on groundwater for livestock in this semi-arid region, while the network of unimproved roads and fence lines illustrates the isolated, large-scale ranching operations of mid-century Montana.