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1895 Map of Three Forks

Name: 1895 Topographic Map of Three Forks
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

Virginia City and the territorial-era mining districts anchor this late 19th-century survey of southwest Montana, where the headwaters of the Missouri come together. The confluence of the Jefferson River, Madison River, and Gallatin River near Threeforks creates a natural hub for early settlement and transportation. The Northern Pacific Railroad defines the northern corridor, connecting towns like Manhattan, Logan, and Belgrade to the regional center at Bozeman.

South of the rail line, the landscape transitions into the high peaks of the Jefferson Range and the northern reaches of Yellowstone Nat. Park. For genealogists and local historians, the map preserves the locations of early outposts such as Gums Ranch, Red Bluff, and Sterling, alongside early infrastructure like Bartons Bridge. The inclusion of the Gallatin Forest Reserve and specific peaks like Lone Mountain and The Sphinx illustrates the early management of these mountain territories during the state's first decades of statehood.