1983 Map of Bechyn

About this map

Bechyn serves as the quiet center of this Renville County landscape, where the agricultural order of the late twentieth century is defined by an extensive network of drainage systems. The map meticulously documents these engineered waterways, including County Ditch No 110 and County Ditch No 130, which crisscross the prairie to manage the watershed between the West Fork and East Fork of the local river system. These ditches reveal the intense labor required to sustain the regional farming economy within the townships of Henryville, Flora, and Beaver Falls. Near the confluence of these waters, Beaver Creek winds through the terrain, flanked by several Gravel Pits that suggest local resource extraction. The map preserves the exact boundaries of rural sections and the scattered farmsteads that characterize this portion of the Minnesota River valley hinterland.