1949 Map of Susanville

About this map

The Middle Fork John Day River winds through the northern reaches of this territory, where the small settlement of Galena marks a rare pocket of habitation in the late 1940s. Situated within the overlapping boundaries of the Malheur National Forest and Whitman National Forest, the landscape is defined by remote camps and administrative outposts. Forestry and conservation history is evident through the presence of the Hi Yu Guard Station and the Lake Butte Lookout, which served as vital points for fire surveillance and resource management. Deep in the drainage basins of Bear Creek and Long Creek, numerous meadows and named springs like Bear Wallow Spring and Federal Spr reveal a landscape utilized for seasonal grazing and back-country logging. From the isolated Hamburger Cabin to the high elevations of Jonas Mtn and Nipple Butte, the map documents a rugged era of wilderness infrastructure and high-country homesteading.