1970 Map of Woodhurst Mountain

About this map

Sapphire Village sits at the base of the mountains in central Montana, serving as a gateway to the high elevations of the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The landscape is dominated by significant peaks including Woodhurst Mountain and Tollgate Mountain, with the latter overlooking the historic Tollgate area. This 1970s survey captures a transition between the rugged forest interior and the administrative edges of the Judith River Game Range Hdqrs. Local industry and resource extraction are evident through the presence of a Strip Mine near Willow Creek and various Prospects scattered through the steep drainage of Sawmill Gulch. The naming conventions of the watercourses, such as Dipping Vat Coulee and Missouri Coulee, suggest a legacy of livestock management and early homesteading patterns that defined the eastern slopes of the Little Belt Mountains during this era.