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1956 Map of Atwater

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Atwater
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1974
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1974

About this map

Glacial lakes and small agricultural hubs dominate this mid-century portrait of Kandiyohi County. The massive expanse of Green Lake and the intricate shoreline of Diamond Lake serve as the primary landmarks, surrounded by a dense network of smaller basins like Sperry Lake, Summit Lake, and Lake Elizabeth. The regional economy is anchored by the Burlington Northern railroad, which strings together the settlements of Spicer, Kandiyohi, and Atwater.

Rural life in the 1950s is meticulously documented through an unusually high density of country schools and churches. Genealogists can locate specific centers of community worship and burial, such as St Patrick Cem Ebenezer Ch and the Tripolis Ch. The map also preserves the locations of over a dozen numbered schoolhouses, including School No 28 and School No 71, providing a detailed look at the local educational landscape before school consolidation changed the rural geography.