1971 Map of Alpha

About this map

Alpha and the surrounding townships of Bethel and Eden define this agricultural landscape during the early 1970s. The terrain is shaped by the winding course of Crane Creek in the north and the Little Wapsipinicon River in the south, which drains the fertile fields of Sumner No 2. This area is marked by a high concentration of resource extraction sites, with numerous Gravel Pits, a Sandpit, and a Quarry indicating the local importance of aggregate mining for road building and construction. Genealogists can locate established burial grounds such as Bethel Cem and Wilson Grove Cem, while the small settlement of Richfield stands as a focal point for the rural population of the Fredericksburg and Banks districts. The map provides a precise view of the rural section lines and fence rows that partitioned the Iowa countryside just before the expansion of modern industrial farming practices.