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1986 Map of Beatrice

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Beatrice
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1994
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1994

About this map

The Homestead National Monument of America stands as a central historical landmark in this mid-1980s landscape, marking the site where Daniel Freeman made one of the first claims under the Homestead Act. The city of Beatrice serves as the regional hub, situated at the confluence of the Big Blue River and a dense network of rail lines including the Burlington Northern, Union Pacific, and Missouri Pacific.

Outside the urban centers, the map reveals a meticulously surveyed grid of townships like Midland and Filley, dotted with small communities such as Blue Springs, Wymore, and Pawnee City. The terrain is defined by the winding paths of the North Fork Big Nemaha River and the South Fork Big Nemaha River, which carve through the plains alongside numerous conservation areas like the Osage State Wildlife Management Area. This survey documents a mature agricultural and transportation corridor just before the significant railroad consolidations and rural shifts of the late 20th century.