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1899 Map of Alexandria

Name: 1899 Topographic Map of Alexandria
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

The James River meanders through the western reaches of this late 19th-century landscape, carving a distinct valley through the agricultural townships of Hanson and Mc Cook counties. Surveyed in the mid-1890s, the map reveals a region defined by its emerging rail network, where three major lines intersect to support the growing prairie settlements. The Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul R. R. serves the central hub of Alexandria, while the Chicago St. Paul Minneapolis and Omaha R. R. connects towns like Fulton and Farmer (Doon).

Smaller outposts such as Rockport, situated along the riverbanks, and Epiphany, located further north, highlight the early distribution of rural communities before the turn of the century. Notable watercourses including Enemy Creek, Pierre Creek, and Wolf Creek feed into the primary river system, providing essential drainage for the surrounding plains. This era represents the peak of steam-era railroad expansion in South Dakota, evidenced by the named divisions and branches like the Iowa and Dakota Div.