1954 Map of Berne

About this map

Black Hills National Forest land dominates this mid-century landscape, where the rugged topography of western South Dakota is carved by an intricate network of waterways including French Creek and Tenderfoot Creek. This area, situated along the Pennington Co Custer Co border, reveals a legacy of resource extraction and seasonal habitation. Evidence of the region’s mining history is scattered across the terrain, with operations such as the Penobscott Mine, Crown Mine, and Wabash Mine marking the hillsides. The settlement of Berne sits along the rail line of the Chicago and Burlington and Quincy railroad, serving as a focal point in a landscape otherwise defined by isolated outposts like Roetzel Deer Camp and the Junction Ranger Station. On the eastern edge, the early development of the Crazy Horse Carvings at Thunderhead Mountain signifies the area's emerging identity as a site of monumental sculpture.