1949 Map of Yelm
USGS Topo · Published 1958About this map
Yelm serves as a central hub at the intersection of various prairie landscapes and expanding infrastructure in the late 1940s. The northern portion of this survey is dominated by the Fort Lewis Military Reservation, featuring the Rainier Training Area and several abandoned targets. The Nisqually River carves through the terrain, feeding the Yelm Canal and passing the Centralia Power Plant. Settlement patterns are defined by wide, named plains like Weir Prairie and Smith Prairie, where agriculture and timber interests are evident through features like Reichel Ranch and the logging community of Vail. A complex rail network including the Northern Pacific and a Military Railroad illustrates the strategic and economic importance of this corridor between McKenna and Rainier. Further south, the landscape rises into the timbered heights of Porcupine Ridge and Clam Mountain, monitored by fire lookouts such as the Porcupine Lookout.
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Editions of this 1949 Yelm Map
This is the sole edition of this map. No revisions or reprints were ever made.
