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1953 Map of Crook

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Crook
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The town of Crook sits as a critical transport node in Logan County, where the Union Pacific railroad parallels the wide valley of the South Platte River. This early 1950s survey illustrates a landscape defined by highly engineered irrigation, with the Harmony Ditch No 1, Harmony Ditch No 3, and Chambers Ditch carving through the terrain to support High Plains agriculture. The river itself is flanked by the Colorado Game and Fish Reserve, indicating the importance of wildlife management and public lands along this riparian corridor.

Rural life is marked by the Condon Ranch and numerous windmills scattered across the undulating land south of the river, while industry is represented by Gravel Pits and the presence of Slaughter Pond near the town site. The map records a specific era of Missouri River Basin development, showcasing the transition from the river's natural flow to a managed system of siphons, levees, and ditches like the Tamarack Ditch.