MTLRS408.xml Guide to the Montana Department of Highways, Photogrammetry and Survey Unit records 1956-1982 Montana Department of Highways, Photogrammetry and Survey Unit Records Finding aid prepared by Ellie Letterman; Updated by Lindsey Mick Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) Montana Historical Society 2012; 2024 Finding aid encoded by Ellie Letterman; Updated by Lindsey Mick2012; 2024 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS (Describing Archives: A Content Standard). Montana Historical Society Archives RS 408_RS 492 Montana. Department of Highways Montana Department of Highways, Photogrammetry and Survey Unit records 1956-1982 3.8 linear feet This collection is a sub-subgroup (Unit) of the Montana Department of Transportation records, RS 492. The Photogrammetry and Survey Unit now falls under the Highways Bureau in the Engineering Division. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Transportation records. This collection (1956-1982) consists of subject files. 40:4-7 English

The Montana State Highway Commission was created in 1913 by the state Legislative Assembly. The original Commission was composed of three members. In 1917 new legislation altered the organization of the Commission by authorizing the appointment of twelve members according to geographic highway districts. Membership was changed again in 1921 to three members appointed by the Governor and in 1941 to five members, also appointed by the Governor. In 1971 the Commission was renamed the Montana Department of Highways, created by Chapter 7 of the Executive Reorganization Act of 1971 and implemented by executive order of the Governor on December 16, 1971. The Department of Highways took over all but the advisory functions of the State Highway Commission.

By 1972, the Department consisted of seven divisions: the Legal Division, Personnel Division, Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division. Each division is headed by an administrator. The Centralized Services Division, Engineering Division, Motor Pool Division, Gross Vehicle Weight Division, and the Maintenance Division are furthered sub-divided into bureaus, headed by Chiefs. In 1991, the Department of Highways became the Department of Transportation. This was primarily a name change. However, there were some structural and administrative changes.

Montana’s Department of Highway began heavy construction of the Interstate Highways in 1959, initiated by the Federal Highway Act of 1956. Construction and development peaked in the early 1970s and was completed by the 1980s. The Photogrammetry and Survey Section was developed in response to the Highway Act and a need for improvements and standardization of the Interstates in Montana.

The Photogrammetry and Survey Section primarily took aerial photography of Interstates 90, 94, 15, and routes around major Montana cities. The images, surveys, and reports identified locations, topography, rest areas, pits, and structures for use in design of projects and mapping. The section also produced aerial photographic records of slide areas, as well as Highways land involved in litigation. The files are primarily project—or route—related aerial photographs, along with monitoring reports, level notes, and some correspondence.

This collection is in one series, Subject Files, arranged by specific image area, along Interstate or Highway route or structure.

Collection is open for research.

The Montana Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Transportation were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 492, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the MTHS catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Transportation's various Divisions and Bureaus that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 492. Rather than reprocessing over 280 linear feet of Transportation materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids, and provide access to them via links through the central finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup/sub-subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Research Center, Archives, Helena, Montana.

Acquisition information available upon request

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the Montana Historical Society Archives catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search under these terms.

Roads--Design and construction Express Highways Highway engineering--Montana. Helena (Mont.)--Politics and government Montana Transportation Photographs Detailed Description of the Collection Subject Files 1/1 I-90 : Park City to Laurel 1960-1962 1/2 I-90 : Billings East / Route 101-II 1957 1/3 Livingston South 1958 1/4 I-90 : Toluca North 1956 1/5 I-90 : Columbus – Park City, Rest Areas / Interchanges 1966 1/6 I-90 : Bozeman East to Livingston West 1966 1/7 I-90 : Columbus to Park City 1964 1/8 I-90 : Columbus East and West 1963-1964 1/9 I-90 : Toluca Expansion 1956-1966 1/10 I-90 : Toluca to Hardin, Lodgegrass, Route 103 1956 1/11 I-90 : Toluca to Hardin, East Fork Pryor Creek 1961, 1968 1/12 I-90 : Billings to Toluca, Bitter Creek 1961-1962 1/13 I-90 : Billings to Toluca, North Route 1956-1966 1/14 I-90 : Billings Interchange 1957 1/15 I-90 : Lodge Grass, North 1956 1/16 I-90 : Lodge Grass, Wyola 1966 1/17 I-90 : Clinton to Drummond Expansion 1956-1963 1/18 I-90 : Bozeman Pass 1965 1/19 I-90 : Lookout Pass West, Saltese East 1971 1/20 I-90 : Saltese to Drexel 1966 1/21 I-90 : Lookout / Mullan Pass 1960 1/22 I-90 : Tarkio to Mullan 1967 1/23 I-90 : Reed Point East 1967-1968 1/24 Route 101, Rocker Interchange 1961 1/25 I-90 : Missoula West Design 1961-1975 1/26 I-90 : Three Forks Rest Area 1975 1/27 I-90 : Gold Creek, Phosphate Rest Area 1965 1/28 Gold Creek Gravel Pit 1980 1/29 Clinton West, Gas lines and Railroad 1965 1/30 Warm Springs, Interchanges / Racetrack 1965 1/31 I-90 : Garrison, Drummond 1960-1968 1/32 I-90 : Garrison, Widening undated 1/33 101-I : Dear Lodge, Warm Springs 1964 1/34 Midigan Canyou / Ballard Coulee 1962 2/1 Phosphate Interchange 1965 2/2 Warm Springs Gravel Pit 1978-1981 2/3 I-90 : Ramsay Interchange 1961 2/4 I-90 : Drummond Way 1959 2/5 I-90 : Missoula West and Urban 1968 2/6 Cardwell Interchange 1964 2/7 Cardwell : Three Forks North Route 1963 2/8 Three Forks to US 289 Interchange 1962-1964 2/9 I-90 : Whitehall East, Limespur, Jefferson Canyon 1959 2/10 Whitehall – Three Forks, Cottonwood Canyon 1961-1962 2/11 I-90: Bozeman, Livingston 1965 2/12 Livingston – East / West, Snow Fence 1976 2/13 I-90 : Superior West 1966 2/14 I-90 : Drexel Quarry Site 1976 2/15-16 DeBorgia Weigh Station 1963 2/17 I-94 : Fallon-Dawson County Line 1967 2/18 I-94 : Prairie County Line Rest Area 1971 2/19 I-94 : Terry West 1962 2/19 South of Terry 1960 2/20 I-94 : Fallon Dawson County Line 1968 2/21 Blatchford to Terry / Terry East and West 1956-1963 2/22 I-94 : Custer East and West 1967 2/23 I-94 : Custer East 1964 2/24 East / Northeast of Custer Interchange 1959 2/25 I-94 : Pompey’s Pillar to Custer 1956-1965 2/26 I-94 : Pompey’s Pillar 1956-1965 2/27 I-94 Interchanges, Ballatine to Pompey’s Pillar 1964 2/28 I-94 : Terry Interchange, Miles City 1964 2/29 I-94 : Ballatine Expansion 1962 2/30 US 87 Junction to Huntley 1962 2/31 I-94 : Hysham Hills 1959 2/32 I-94 : Rosebud West, Wild Cat Creek 1958 2/33 I-94 : Rosebud East Rest Areas 1969 2/34 I-94 : Rosebud to Hathaway 1962 2/35 I-94 : Shirley West 1962 2/36 I-94 : Shirley East 1956 2/37 I-94 : Forsyth East and West 1962 2/38 Hysham-Forsyth 1963 2/39 I-94 : Forsyth East and West 1967 2/40 I-94 : Shirley West 1971-1972 2/41 I-94 : Hysham-Forsyth, 6 miles east of Rosebud- Treasure (Along Railroad track) 1956-1962 3/1 I-94 : Hysham-Forsyth 1959-1962 3/2 I-94 : Hysham 1962 3/3 I-94 : Prairie County Line West 1967 3/4 I-94 : Diamon Ring Rest Area 1973 3/5 I-94 : Wiboux County Line West (Rest Areas) Glendive 1962 3/6 I-94 : Glendive East and West 1962 3/7 I-94 : Glendive East 1962-1967 3/8 I-94 : Rest Area East of Glendive 1965 3/9 I-94 : Glendive Fallon 1956-1961 3/10 I-15 Proposed Construction / Pipe Organ Lodge 1961 3/11 I-15 : Cascade, Hardy Creek, Interchange 1971-1972 3/12 I-15 : Interchanges 9 miles North of Conrad 1964 3/13 I-15 : North of Conrad 1961 3/14 I-15 : Dillon-Melrose Reservoir Area undated 3/15 I-15 : Vaugh North Rest Area 1970 3/16 I-15 : Interchange North of Shelby 1968-1971 3/17 I-15 : Dearborn, Missouri River Junction 1963 3/18 I-15 : Power Interchange 1966 3/19 I-15 : Maria’s River Rest Area 1971 3/20 I-15 : Teton Interchange 1966 3/21 I-15 : Emerson Junction Interchange, North of Great Falls 1974 3/22 I-15 : Collins Interchange 1979-1981 3/23 I-15 : Teton Rest Area 1966 3/24 I-15 : Boulder Hill 1960 3/25 MacDonald Creek Grass Range / Hydraulics 1973-1978 3/26 Vogel Parcel undated 3/27 Kalispell Drainage Study / Mapping for Litigation 1969-1981 3/28 East Helena Drainage and Litigation Study 1980 3/29 Vogel Parcel – Legal 1964-1975 3/30 Bear Creek / ER 72 1975-1976 3/31 Colstrip Road to I-94 1973-1978 3/32 Columbus Gardens Interchange Study 1970 3/33 Cooney Reservoir, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation 1977 3/34 Canyon Ferry / National Guard Area 1975-1976 3/35 Department of Natural Resources and Conservation : Acid Mine and Mill Site Study, Cooke City 1974 3/36 Department of Natural Resources and Conservation : Ruby River, Nevada River, Deadman’s Creek 1977-1978 3/37 Craig Slide North and South : I-15 1970-1984 3/38 St. Regis Slide Areas 1979-1980 3/39 Mission Slide Interchange : I-90 1970 3/40 Hebgen Lake Slide 1974 3/41 Slide Camps Pass – US 212, Ashland East 1971 3/42 Slide North of Fred Robertson Bridge, US 191 1976 3/43 Slide Area 6 miles South of Livingston 1965 3/44 Pine Hill / Pryor Creek Slide Area, I-90 1975-1976 3/45 Sheep Creek Bridge Slide Area, FI 15 1980 3/46 Pipe Organ Slide Area Construction 1967 4/1 Kagy Boulevard From 19th and 3rd, Bozeman 1982 4/2 US 230, 4th and 6th Street Couplet, Exposition Drive S. 437 - Billings 1974-1975 4/3 US 230, Exposition Drive, Billings 1974 4/4 Columbia Falls, F 100 1968 4/5 Northwest Bypass of M 5209 1977 4/6 Fort Harrison 1973-1974 4/7 Bozeman, Oak, Tamerack, Peach –Street Extensions 1969-1975 4/8 U 149, Great Falls 10th Street Bridge Study 1969 4/9 24th Street, Great Falls, South Side Bypass 1974 4/10 Great Falls Central Ave. Bridge 1973 4/11 Kalispell South, F5-3 1982 4/12 U218, Great Falls, 10th Ave and 6th Street 1971 4/13 F277, Great Falls 10th Ave S. 1972 4/14 F135, Miles City Railroad Underpass 1977 4/15 F531, 27th Street Billings North 1980 4/16 Great Falls River Drive, 6th Street to Giant Springs 1970-1977 5/1 Butte South Side Bypass 1970-1971 5/2 Butte – East Park and Continental Drive 1968 5/3 U53. Wicks Lane – Bench Boulevard 1974-1975 5/4 Bozeman, 19th Ave and Oak 1982-1983 5/5 Havre Bypass 1978 5/6 Billings – Grand Ave, Division to 24th 1974-1975 5/7 Havre – Hospital Connection 1976 5/8 Fort Benton, Highwood 1974 5/9 Montana Ave N, Helena 1979