1949 Map of Box Butte NW

About this map

The Niobrara River winds through this high plains landscape at the border of Dawes and Box Butte counties, marking a transition between the elevated tablelands and the river valley. The presence of Fossil Beds near the western edge of the quadrangle highlights the significant paleontological history of this region. Settlers in this semi-arid environment relied on an emerging water infrastructure, evidenced by the Irrigation Canal and numerous windmills scattered across the range. Educational life in these rural townships centered on small local institutions like Dunlap Sch and Running Water Sch, while the remote Katen Cem serves as a vital marker for genealogists researching early families in the Craig and Running Water precincts. The network of drainage features, including Sand Canyon Creek and Cottonwood Creek, underscores the essential relationship between water access and habitation in post-war western Nebraska.