Maps of the Palouse, Walla Walla, and Camas Prairie Regions

Credit USGS PULLMAN, WA-ID-OR, 1955 (store.usgs.gov/product/285577)

As I originally imagined my book, Palouse Rails - Granger Railroads of the Inland Northwest, it would include a series of well-detailed maps to help readers visualize how the railroads discussed in the book connected the various towns and other locations with the rest of the United States' rail network. However, in discussions with the publisher, Fonthill Media, it became clear including such maps within the allotted number of pages would mean many photos would be left out. To me, the photos are the most important part of any railroad book, so we considered options that would allow us to keep the photos in the book.

The maps I used as references while writing the book came from a series of topographic maps in 1:250,000 scale issued by the U. S. Geological Survey. The most useful ones were those from the mid-1950s, when most of the Inland Northwest rail network was still intact. Together with the publisher, I decided to include a short author's note pointing readers to those same reference maps. This compromise would allow the photographs to remain in the book.

The USGS sells full-size copies of these maps through its online store for about $15 each. But, what's really cool, is that you can download .pdf copies of those same maps directly to your personal computer for free.  That's right, for FREE!!!

I recommend seven maps that together cover the full length of the railroad lines discussed in the book. Two of them, Grangeville, ID and Hamilton, MT, show only the extreme eastern and southern ends of the Camas Prairie Railroad, but the rest are very helpful in following the book's narrative and in locating the places where photos were taken.

To make it even easier for readers to obtain the free downloads, I have placed links below that take you directly to the USGS page for the listed map, from which it may be downloaded:

• WALLA WALLA, WA-OR, 1953 (store.usgs.gov/product/285463)
• PENDLETON, OR-WA, 1953 (store.usgs.gov/product/288035)
• PULLMAN, WA-ID-OR, 1955 (store.usgs.gov/product/285577)
• SPOKANE, WA-ID-MT, 1955 (store.usgs.gov/product/285758)
• RITZVILLE, WA, 1953 (store.usgs.gov/product/286842)
• GRANGEVILLE, ID-OR-WA, 1955 (store.usgs.gov/product/290057)
• HAMILTON, MT-ID, 1956 (store.usgs.gov/product/340619)