1960 Map of Deerfield SW

About this map

The vast, undulating plains of Kearny County are defined here by the systematic development of the Hugoton natural gas field at the start of the 1960s. Across the townships of South Side and Kendall, the landscape is organized by a geometric grid of sections, each punctuated by numerous industrial sites. The proliferation of the Gas Well across nearly every square mile reveals the intensity of energy extraction during this era, showing how industrial infrastructure integrated with the rural Kansas terrain. Beyond these resource points, the sheet captures a high-plains landscape shaped by depression-like contours and unimproved dirt tracks, reflecting the sparse, utilitarian settlement patterns of the high desert fringe in western Kansas.