1919 Map of Beltrami

About this map

The agrarian landscape of Polk County is dominated by the grain-shipping infrastructure of the early twentieth century, centered on the Beltrami settlement. As an advance sheet compiled by the Department Engineer, this survey highlights a massive network of drainage infrastructure, labeled simply as Ditch, which transformed the Red River Valley into productive farmland. The economic life of the region is traced through its elevators, including the Beltrami North Elevator and Kittson Elevator, situated alongside the Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads. These rail lines facilitated the growth of small hubs like Girard and Russia. Away from the tracks, the survey captures the social fabric of rural townships such as Andover and Scandia, where numerous Schools, Churches, and small Cemeteries served the farming families established across the flat plains north of the Sand Hill River.