1947 Map of Bowbells NW

About this map

The Canada United States international border defines the northern edge of this Burke County landscape, where the Upper Des Lacs National Wildlife Refuge follows the serpentine path of Upper Des Lacs Lake. Mapping conducted by the Geological Survey and Bureau of Reclamation in the late 1940s reveals a prairie terrain organized by the township system, featuring the administrative districts of North Star and Minnesota. The land is punctuated by several rural educational outposts, including School No 1, School No 2, School No 3, and School No 5, which served the scattered farmsteads of the era. Natural drainage is primarily defined by Stony Run, which carves through the undulating plains toward the refuge valley. This survey captures the region as a stable agricultural frontier, where the conservation efforts of the refuge boundary meet the regulated grids of local school districts.