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1956 Map of Curtis NW

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Curtis NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Medicine Creek carves a deep valley through the high plains of the Nebraska panhandle, serving as the primary corridor for the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad. This mid-century survey captures the rural landscape where the Lincoln Co Frontier Co boundary line bisects a complex network of drainage systems, including North Brushy Creek and South Brushy Creek. The topography is dominated by the Laird plateau, which rises above the deep incisions of Lake Canyon and Hay Canyon.

Small rail-aligned settlements like Wellfleet and Maywood anchor the local economy, while the BM Gaging Station on the creek indicates the importance of water management in this arid environment. The map reflects a period of infrastructure development as part of the Department of the Interior's Missouri River Basin program, showing the intersection of natural hydrology and man-made transit routes through the Nebraska loess hills.