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1901 Map of Cheney

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Cheney
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

The Arkansas River cuts diagonally across this prairie landscape, serving as a primary corridor for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and early settlements like Haven and Mt. Hope. Farther south, the Ninnescah River and its numerous tributaries, including Smoots Creek and Polecat Creek, drain the agricultural townships of Garden Plain and Morton. This late 19th-century survey highlights a network of rural post offices that once anchored local life, including Stella P.O., Mona P.O., and Venice P.O..

Railroad development defines the growth of the region, with the Wichita and Western Railroad connecting Cheney and Goddard. The map reveals the rigid grid of the Public Land Survey System, where townships like Greeley and Union are dotted with small commercial centers such as Andale and Colwich. These details preserve a snapshot of the Kansas plains when rail lines and isolated post offices were the vital links between farming communities.