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1952 Map of Burwell SE

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

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The North Loup River valley dominates this early 1950s landscape, serving as the primary corridor for transport and irrigation in Garfield County. Along its northern banks, the Burwell Sumter Canal runs parallel to the river, a vital piece of water infrastructure developed for the Missouri River Basin. The agrarian character of the region is evident in the dense network of rural schoolhouses, including Rosehill Sch, Richland Sch, and Banner Sch, which were the social anchors for farming families in the Willow Springs and Midvale areas.

Transportation is defined by the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad, which snakes along the river valley floor near the County Fairground. The topography transitions from the flat, cultivated river bottom to the high ground of Windy Hill and the draws of Bean Creek. Numerous windmills are marked across the uplands, indicating the reliance on groundwater for livestock as the terrain rises into the surrounding sandhills.