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1945 Map of West Butte

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of West Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

The northern reaches of Toole County meet the Canada United States border in this mid-1940s mapping of the Sweet Grass Hills. Dominating the northeastern quadrant, the prominent mass of West Butte rises above a high-plains landscape defined by seasonal drainages like Willow Creek and Kicking Horse Creek. The area’s cattle-ranching heritage is clearly documented through named homesteads such as the Sweetgrass Hills Ranch, Reverse B Bar X Ranch, and the Bow and Arrow Ranch, many of which were established near vital water sources like Perkins Lake.

Evidence of local community life is preserved in the locations of isolated rural education centers, including Wamsley Sch and the O'Loughlin School. On the eastern slopes of the butte, the McDermott Mine points to the region's mineral interests during the mid-twentieth century. The map also traces the Principal Meridian and the Alberta Montana boundary, framing this remote ranching territory at the very edge of the nation.