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1981 Map of Stephenson Mountain

Name: 1981 Topographic Map of Stephenson Mountain
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1997
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1997

About this map

Stephenson Mountain and the Ochoco Mountains dominate this high-desert landscape in North Central Oregon. The John Day River carves a deep path through the terrain, flanked by the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. The map records a transition in land use, where rugged cattle country meets concentrated mining efforts at the Oregon King Mine, Queen Oregon Mines, and Iron Mountain Mine.

Settlement patterns follow the water and early transit corridors, with small communities like Shaniko, Antelope, and Fossil serving as anchors for the surrounding ranching and timber operations. The network of canyons and creeks, including Trout Creek and Cherry Creek, illustrates the complex drainage of the Columbia Plateau. Federal land management is prominent, with the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland shaping the southern and western reaches of the quadrangle.