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1951 Map of Broken Bow

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Broken Bow
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

Broken Bow serves as the focal point of this Custer County landscape at the start of the 1950s, revealing a meticulously mapped municipal grid and transportation hub. The Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad cuts diagonally across the territory, anchoring the local economy and dictating the placement of early infrastructure. The town itself is densely detailed, featuring the county Courthouse, Post Office, and civic structures like the Armory.

Beyond the city limits, the map illustrates a network of rural education and faith that defined Nebraska prairie life. A remarkable number of country schoolhouses, such as East Table Sch, Sunny Dell Sch, and Prairie Center Sch, are scattered across the surrounding hills and valleys. Landmarks like Deadmans Canyon and the South Branch of Mud Creek provide geographic context to a region defined by the transition from the high East Table plateau down into Tappan Valley.