BlockBefore

Watson, Montana

16 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1886 and the latest in 1976. It stands in the Great Falls North census division. It lies in ZIP code area 59404. The Survey maps it on the Northwest Great Falls quadrangle. The federal gazetteer marks this settlement historical: it is no longer a populated place, though the surveys that recorded it still are.

Watson within Cascade County

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 16 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

26 since 1994

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Watson (historical) between 1994 and 2020, burning about 13,367 acres in total. 4 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined9
Fireworks6
Natural4
Equipment and vehicle use3
Power generation/transmission/distribution1
Debris and open burning1
Arson/incendiarism1
Misuse of fire by a minor1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
9 September 1994Missing data/not specified/undetermined100 acresCentral Land OfficeBOOTLEGGER #1
8 September 2017Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreCentral Land OfficeBLACK EAGLE
4 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCascade County57 COMMAND
2 September 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined7,000 acresCentral Land OfficeSTUCKEY RD MA
12 September 2005Natural1.0 acresBenton Lake National Wildlife RefugeNATURAL OUT 1
25 August 2017Missing data/not specified/undetermined2.0 acresCentral Land OfficeBLACK EAGLE
23 August 2017Power generation/transmission/distribution40 acresCentral Land OfficeBLACK EAGLE
20 August 1998Natural44 acresBenton Lake National Wildlife RefugeUNIT 6

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Cascade County

Mines and quarries near this place

7 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 7 workings within 5 miles of Watson (historical): 2 unknowns, 2 occurrences, 2 past producers, 1 prospect. None of them still produces. What was taken out: Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Bentonite, Iron. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Great Falls BentoniteBentoniteUnknown
Great Falls Slag DumpIronUnknown
Kraus PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Zook No. 1Sand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Treasurelite Shale MineClayProspect
Unnamed LocationClayOccurrence
Unnamed LocationClayOccurrence

Every working recorded in Cascade County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Countryside Village2.8 miles16
North Great Falls (historical)2.9 miles16
Little Chicago (historical)3.3 miles16
Black Eagle3.5 miles16
Smelter Hill3.7 miles16
Rainbow4.6 miles19
Boston Heights (historical)4.9 miles16
Great Falls5.4 miles16

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1762412. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.