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1951 Map of Y U Bench NE

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Y U Bench NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1953
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1953

About this map

The Greybull River valley serves as a vital corridor for irrigation and settlement in this Wyoming landscape, mapped just as post-war water development programs were reshaping the Missouri River Basin. The intricate network of gravity-fed water systems, including the Meeteetse Ditch, Old Smith Ditch, and Burlington Canal, illustrates the heavy reliance on mountain runoff to transform the arid flats of Y U Bench and Emblem Bench into productive ranchland.

Evidence of early frontier life is preserved at Fenton, situated near the confluence of Fenton Draw and the river. The presence of the Fenton School (Abandoned) and nearby family-named sites like Thayer Ranch and the Renner-Sims area offer specific touchpoints for genealogical research. The geography transitions from these irrigated lowlands to the high ground of Bridger Butte and Roach Gulch, showing the stark contrast between the fertile river bottom and the surrounding high desert.