1965 Map of Two Top Butte West

About this map

Two Top Butte serves as the dominant landmark of this prairie landscape in northern Butte County, a region characterized by drainage networks and isolated ranching operations. The topography is defined by the winding paths of Hilderbrand Creek and Horse Creek, which cut through the high plains toward the east and west. Human presence is sparse, centered on the Kinghorn Two Top Ranch situated near the base of the prominent butte. This mid-1960s survey captures the area just as modern infrastructure like Highway 85 began to slice diagonally across the sections, providing a primary transit corridor through the open range. The map illustrates a transitional period for the South Dakota ranching economy, where vast grazing lands were mapped with high-precision photogrammetric methods to document fence lines and small stock ponds.