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1894 Map of Cheyenne Wells

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Cheyenne Wells
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1916
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1916

About this map

Cheyenne Wells serves as the central hub of this High Plains landscape, situated at a critical junction of early transport and hydrology. Surveyed in 1890, the map illustrates the vital role of the Union Pacific Railroad as it strikes a nearly straight line across the prairie through Arapahoe. This corridor followed the natural logic of the terrain, navigating between the drainage basins of the Smoky Hill River to the north and Ladder Creek to the south.

The presence of the Colorado Kansas Boundary Line on the eastern edge highlights the borderland character of the region. To the southwest, the isolated settlement of Water Valley sits near Big Sandy Creek, demonstrating the sparse but deliberate pattern of ranching and railway-driven settlement before the turn of the century. The intricate contour work by Willard D. Johnson reveals the subtle but complex draws and divides that defined travel and water access in this semi-arid environment.