1985 Map of Winifred West

About this map

The prairie landscape of Fergus County is defined here by the town of Winifred, which serves as a central hub for the surrounding ranching and dry-land farming country. This 1985 provisional study reveals a terrain deeply incised by drainages such as Flax Coulee and Dog Creek, illustrating how the Missouri River watershed begins to carve into the Montana plains. The topography is marked by significant elevation changes, where high flats like those near Yaaps Corner drop away into the rugged draws of Sig Larson Coulee. Infrastructure in this era remained sparse, centered on the grid-patterned streets of Winifred and a handful of vital water management features like Stafford Reservoir. The map provides a clear look at the rural section lines and local roads that connected these isolated outposts before modern developments altered the agricultural footprint of the region.