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1953 Map of Walla Walla

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Walla Walla
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1964
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1964

About this map

Walla Walla and the burgeoning Tri-Cities area anchor this mid-century look at the Columbia Basin during a period of massive hydraulic and industrial expansion. The presence of the Hanford Works (AEC) along the Columbia River highlights the region's critical role in the atomic age, while the rise of the Ice Harbor Dam and Priest Rapids Dam signals the transformation of the river systems for power and irrigation.

The landscape is a complex network of coulees and flats, where railroads like the Northern Pacific and Union Pacific connect remote agricultural outposts such as Benge and Washtucna. From the Saddle Mountains to the Horse Heaven Hills, the map documents a transition from traditional dry-land farming to irrigated agriculture made possible by the Potholes Reservoir and O'Sullivan Dam. Notable local sites like Palouse Falls State Park and the Dry Creek Cem provide touchstones for genealogists and regional historians studying the settlement patterns of Walla Walla County.