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1949 Map of Atcoal

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Atcoal
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1982
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1982

About this map

The Canada United States international border defines the northern edge of this high-plains landscape, where the rural economy of the mid-20th century relied on coal extraction and rail transport. The southern portion of the quadrangle is dominated by industrial activity within Koalfield, characterized by an expansive Strip Mine and the logistics of the Burlington Soo Line. Small industrial settlements like Atcoal and Strange Siding appear as critical transit points for the region's natural resources.

Away from the mines, the land is divided into a grid of townships like Mentor, dotted with one-room schoolhouses such as School No 1 and School No 4. The drainage of the West Branch Short Creek cuts through the prairie, while an Old Railroad Grade indicates a shifting transportation network. This map provides a detailed view of the Burke County borderlands at a time when surface mining was reshaping the local geography.