1951 Map of Bull Lake

About this map

Sears Ranch and Kidder Ranch anchor this mid-century view of the Nebraska Sandhills, a landscape defined by an intricate network of lakes, meadows, and seasonal wetlands. The North Loup River winds through the center of the sheet, where a crossing at the Hatters Bridge is already noted as out of use. The cattle economy of the 1940s and early 1950s is evident in the numerous family-named properties, such as the Murphy Ranch and McCloud Ranch, which are interspersed with essential local infrastructure like School No 113 and the Sears Sch. The survey captures a high-water table era, documenting numerous named water bodies including Stout Lake, Mud Lake, and the expansive Bull Lake. These features, along with Murphy Swamp, illustrate the complex hydrology of Cherry County before modern agricultural changes altered many of these smaller basins.