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1896 Map of Browns Creek

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Browns Creek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1956
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1956

About this map

Lisco and the North Platte River anchor this late 19th-century landscape, which reveals a transition from open prairie to an emerging irrigation-based economy. The presence of multiple water systems, including the Beerline Canal, Lower Dugout Canal, and Belmont Canal, highlights the early engineering efforts to manage water for the valley's cattle and agriculture interests.

Family ranching is the dominant social structure of the era, documented through dozens of named homesteads like Johnson's Ranch, Smith's Ranch, and Hubble's Ranch. The map also captures significant natural landmarks and water bodies that were vital to regional navigation and survival, such as the prominent Courthouse Rock to the southwest and a series of distinct basins like Wild Horse Lake, Alkali Lake, and Sand Lake. The boundary between Cheyenne and Deuel counties further contextualizes the administrative divisions of the time.