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1950 Map of Cuny Table East

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Cuny Table East
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1952
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1952

About this map

The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation landscape is defined here by the dramatic escarpment of Cuny Table, a prominent landform that dominates the southern half of this 1950 field study. The map illustrates a stark geographic transition from the high, flat plateau of Stronghold Table to the deeply eroded drainage systems of the north, including Quinn Draw and Big Corral Draw.

Evidence of early rural infrastructure within the reservation is centered around the Cuny Table Sch, positioned at the base of the table's southern flank. The drainage patterns of Cottonwood Creek and the arid reaches of Cactus Flats indicate a terrain where water management and natural boundaries shaped local navigation. This survey was conducted as part of the Missouri River Basin development program, providing a look at this part of South Dakota before significant modern modification.