1986 Map of Teigen NW

About this map

Three Buttes dominates the southwestern corner of this mid-1980s provisional survey, which documents the remote drainage systems along the border of Fergus and Petroleum counties. The landscape is defined by its seasonal hydrology, where the South Fork Bear Creek and Duck Creek carve subtle paths through the high plains. The drainage network is particularly dense in the south, where Fords Creek, Brickyard Creek, and Three Buttes Creek converge. These waterways provided the essential infrastructure for ranching and homesteading in a region where water availability dictated the placement of every fence line and stock tank. The map captures this part of Central Montana just as modern digital mapping techniques began to replace traditional manuscript drawings, preserving the traditional nomenclature of local landmarks and intermittent streams.