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1950 Map of Belle Prairie

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Belle Prairie
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

The Mississippi River divides the landscape of this 1950 survey, where the river's path is punctuated by numerous named islands such as Topeka Islands and Roscoe Island. This era captures the post-war footprint of the Fort Ripley Military Reservation, positioned near the historic settlement of Fort Ripley. To the west, the Northern Pacific railroad corridor anchors small communities and agricultural hubs like Darling Switch and Randall, tracing a vital transportation link through Morrison County.

Genealogists will find a wealth of local landmarks, including over twenty numbered schoolhouses and several country burial grounds like St Mathias Church Cemetery and the Old Darling Mission Cemetery. The area is densely packed with water bodies, from the sprawling Mud Lake and Muskrat Lake to smaller basins like Coon Stump Lake, illustrating the complex glacial topography and drainage patterns characteristic of this central Minnesota region.