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1898 Map of Cottonwood Falls

Name: 1898 Topographic Map of Cottonwood Falls
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Cottonwood River serves as the central artery for this late 19th-century landscape, carving a valley that dictated the path of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe RR. The county seat at Cottonwood Falls and the nearby rail hub of Strong represent the primary population centers during this era of reconnaissance mapping. Outside these hubs, the prairie is organized into a grid of townships like Bazaar, Cedar, and Matfield, dotted with small agricultural settlements such as Cedar Point, Matfield Green, and Elmdale.

The surveying by H.S. Wallace reveals a complex network of waterways feeding into the main river system, including the South Fork Cottonwood River and Diamond Creek. To the west, the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR cuts through the townships of Clear Creek and Summit, connecting Lincolnville, Antelope, and Florence. This period illustrates the peak of railroad-driven settlement in the Flint Hills region, where towns were spaced specifically to serve steam-era transportation needs.