Loading map...

1964 Map of Aurora

Name: 1964 Topographic Map of Aurora
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1965
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1965

About this map

Agricultural life in eastern South Dakota is defined by the section lines and small rail-centered settlements documented in this mid-1960s survey. The town of Aurora serves as a central hub, situated where the Chicago and North Western railroad cuts across the landscape. Further north, the village of Bushnell sits along the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific line, illustrating the importance of rail transport for moving grain and goods from the surrounding townships of Afton, Sherman, and Aurora.

The prairie terrain is drained by several meandering waterways, including Sixmile Creek, Deer Creek, and Medary Creek, which provide topographical relief to the otherwise orderly grid of farmsteads. Local history is anchored by rural institutions like the Trail Sch and the quiet grounds of Fountain Cem and Fairlawn Cem. This era shows a landscape in transition, with numerous Gravel Pits and a Roadside Park appearing alongside established family farms and township boundaries.