1988 Map of Barent Valley

About this map

Family ranching operations define the remote landscape of Cherry County in the mid-1980s. Scattered throughout this portion of the Sandhills, established holdings such as Swendener Ranch, Walker Ranch, and Phillips Ranch are the primary markers of human presence across a terrain of undulating dunes and dry basins. The topography is characterized by expansive depressions like Dry Valley, Barent Valley, and Calf Creek Valley, which provide natural corridors through the hills. This 1988 provisional survey also records the presence of a Landing Strip near the northern border, reflecting the necessity of air travel in this isolated cattle country. Genealogists and local historians can use the specific placement of the Murry Ranch and Giles Ranch to trace historic land use and property boundaries in this sparsely populated region.