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1954 Map of Sturgeon Island

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Sturgeon Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

The Missouri River snakes through the center of this 1954 survey, defining the boundary between Blaine County and Fergus County. Centered on Sturgeon Island, the map reveals a landscape dominated by dramatic elevation changes and drainage networks like Bullwhacker Creek and Woodhawk Creek. This survey was conducted as part of a Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, capturing the terrain shortly after aerial photography was utilized for topographic mapping in the region.

Evidence of human presence is sparse in this portion of the northern plains, marked primarily by the Gist Ranch and a series of rugged transport routes labeled as Jeep Trail. Rising above the river valley, Ervin Ridge provides a significant topographic landmark. The map is a precise record of the mid-century Missouri River corridor before modern infrastructure altered the more remote reaches of these Montana counties.