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1949 Map of Chalk Buttes

Name: 1949 Topographic Map of Chalk Buttes
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The North Platte River winds through the eastern portion of this landscape, serving as a primary corridor for transportation and settlement in Converse County. To the northeast, the town of Douglas serves as a hub where the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad line meets the river valley. This 1949 survey illustrates the overlapping layers of Western transit history, most notably the path of the Emigrant Trail cutting across the terrain.

The presence of an Oregon Trail Monument underscores the area's significance to westward expansion. South of the river, the elevation rises sharply toward the prominence of Sheep Mountain and Warm Springs Hill. Numerous drainages, including Bed Tick Creek and Wagon Hound Creek, carve through the basin toward the North Platte, while the distinctive Chalk Buttes dominate the northern plateau. Geologic features like the Hot Springs near the river bank further define the local topography.