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1952 Map of Burwell NW

Name: 1952 Topographic Map of Burwell NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

Nichol Lake and Bald Lake punctuate the undulating Sandhills terrain of Garfield and Loup Counties in the early 1950s. This land, characterized by townships like Kinkaid, Rockford, and Willow Springs, shows the sparse ranching economy of the era. The presence of Garska Ranch and scattered Windmill sites illustrates the critical importance of water management in this cattle-country landscape.

Evidence of shifting rural populations is clear from the educational infrastructure. While School No 29 remained a fixture in the north, School No 32 (Abandoned) in the southern reaches reflects the consolidation and abandonment of early district schoolhouses. Drainage is defined by the seasonal flow of Little York Creek and Dry Creek, which cut through the complex dune systems typical of the Nebraska interior during this post-war period of development for the Missouri River Basin.