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1968 Map of Alcester NE

Name: 1968 Topographic Map of Alcester NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

Big Sioux River serves as the winding natural border between South Dakota and Iowa on this late 1960s survey, defining the rugged geography of Newton Hills. The landscape is dominated by the deeply eroded bluffs and timbered ravines of Newton Hills State Park, a stark contrast to the surrounding agricultural uplands. Evidence of the region’s rural development is visible in the network of country schools like Jensvold Sch and Moe Sch, alongside community anchors such as Trinity Ch and its accompanying North Trinity Cem.

Transportation patterns are dictated by the river and the path of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad, which follows the northern riverbank. The map documents the scattered settlement of Moe and several townships, including Settlers and Norway. From the Radio Tower on the heights to the numerous Gravel Pits along the valley floor, this record captures a transition between the wilder Missouri River Basin terrain and the organized grid of High Plains farming.