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1985 Map of De Smet

Name: 1985 Topographic Map of De Smet
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

De Smet and its surrounding prairie lakes characterize this mid-1980s survey of eastern South Dakota. The landscape is defined by its extensive water bodies, including the massive Lake Thompson and the cluster of waters at Oakwood Lakes State Park. The region's agricultural and social organization is visible through the presence of communal settlements such as Cloverleaf Colony and Pearl Creek Colony.

Infrastructure here follows the rigid section lines of the plains, anchored by the Chicago and North Western rail line that connects grain-handling hubs like Lake Preston, Arlington, and Iroquois. The map captures the hydrological complexity of the area, from the headwaters of the West Fork Vermillion River to the numerous sloughs and seasonal lakes like Lake Whitewood and Dry Lake, which dictate the placement of roads and small settlements like Oldham and Ramona.