1959 Map of Stinking Water Creek

About this map

The high-desert terrain of the Rattlesnake Range dominates this late-1950s landscape, where drainage patterns define the limits of ranching and exploration. The isolated Neil Bell Monument stands as a lonely landmark near the Middle Fork Casper Creek, overlooking a network of seasonal draws and creeks. Ranching life is anchored by family operations such as the Forgey Ranch and Sun Ranch, while the presence of an Oil Well and the Oil City Ranch points to the early petroleum interests in Natrona County. The drainage of Stinking Water Creek and Poison Spider Creek creates a rugged geography of basins and canyons, including the steep Eagles Nest Canyon and the high-altitude Snider Basin. This survey documents a transition in Wyoming's backcountry where traditional livestock ranges began to share space with energy prospecting along the primitive Poison Spider Road.