1948 Map of Belle Prairie

About this map

The Mississippi River serves as the central axis for this mid-century survey, dividing the landscape into a complex network of glacial lakes and military installations. To the west, the Fort Ripley Military Reservation and Camp Ripley Military Reservation dominate the terrain, interspersed with numerous water bodies like Round Lake and Lake Alexander. The map captures a high density of rural infrastructure, documenting over twenty numbered schools and several local administrative hubs including Rail-Prairie Town Hall and Ripley Town Hall. Settlement patterns are concentrated along the Northern Pacific railroad line, which connects the riverside communities of Fort Ripley, Belle Prairie, and Topeka. Genealogists will find significant detail in the dispersed rural cemeteries, such as the Old Darling Mission Cemetery and St Mathias Cemetery, providing evidence of early township development in the St. Mathias and Belle Prairie districts.