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1945 Map of West Butte

Name: 1945 Topographic Map of West Butte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The high, isolated terrain of West Butte dominates this northern Montana landscape, situated just south of the international border where Alberta meets the United States. During the mid-1940s, this region of Toole County was defined by a sparse but established ranching economy, marked by specifically named operations like the Sweetgrass Hills Ranch, Roscoe Ranch, and the Bow and Arrow Ranch. The presence of the McDermott Mine on the eastern slopes of the butte indicates localized resource extraction amidst the grazing lands.

Education in this remote territory was decentralized, with small rural schoolhouses such as O'Loughlin School, Wamsley Sch, and Toole Sch serving the scattered families. A complex network of seasonal drainages, including Willow Creek, Simmons Creek, and Ninemile Coulee, carves through the plains surrounding the butte. These coulees and springs provided essential water for the livestock that sustained the diverse ranching tracts mapped along the Principal Meridian.