Loading map...

1994 Map of Virtue Flat

Name: 1994 Topographic Map of Virtue Flat
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1994
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1994

About this map

The Oregon National Historic Trail cuts a historic path across this landscape, preserved through the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center and the Oregon Trail Historical Monument atop Flagstaff Hill. This high desert terrain near Lower Powder Valley reveals a complex history of resource extraction and water management, evidenced by the intricate network of the Missouri Flat Ditch, Basche Ditch, and Duncan Ditch.

Hard-rock mining operations dominate the southern half of the map, particularly around the Virtue Flat area. A high density of named shafts and prospects including the Virtue Mine, Hidden Treasure Mine, and Columbia Mine suggest a period of intense geological exploration. The landscape is also defined by intermittent water sources like Ruckles Creek and various unnamed Spring sites, which were critical for both the emigrant trails and the mining camps that followed.