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1918 Map of Beardsley

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Beardsley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Lake Traverse defines the northwestern boundary of this prairie landscape, where the Roberts Co Traverse Co Boundary Line marks the transition between Minnesota and South Dakota. Surveyed just before the end of the First World War, the map reveals a highly organized township system dotted with over a dozen numbered and named rural schoolhouses, such as Round Mound School and Theake School, which served the dispersed farming families of the era.

The village of Beardsley sits as a primary rail hub on the Great Northern (Browns Valley Line), reflecting the importance of steam transport to the regional economy. Moving east from the lake towards the glacial potholes and marshes of Parnell, the terrain is punctuated by landmarks like Round Mound and various water bodies including Fogarty Lake. This sheet captures the agricultural peak of the early 20th century, before the consolidation of rural districts changed the social geography of the plains.