2014 Map of Thornton

About this map

Thornton and the small settlement of Cashup anchor this agricultural landscape in Whitman County, where the Palouse hills are deeply incised by the drainage of Cottonwood Cr and Thorn Cr. The topography is defined by the unique loess hills characteristic of the region, specifically noted at Hastings Gulch and the flats of Pleasant Valley. A network of rural roads, often named for local families such as Harry Davis Rd, McCanse Rd, and K Miller Rd, follows the contours of the land and Section Lines of the Public Land Survey System. The presence of Railroad St in the north suggests the historical importance of rail transport to these grain-growing communities, while the modern corridor of Wa-23 and the Old Thornton Hwy provide the primary north-south transit through this productive wheat-growing country.