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1956 Map of Des Moines NW

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Des Moines NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Des Moines River corridor undergoes a massive transformation on this sheet, dominated by the Saylorville Dam (Under Construction). Purple hatching marks the extensive river bottomlands slated for submersion, revealing the footprint of the landscape before the reservoir's creation. The map captures the interaction between established military and agricultural land use, featuring the Camp Dodge Military Reservation and the Iowa State University Experimental Farm.

To the south, the expansion of Urbandale and Des Moines is visible through 1967 aerial revisions, which highlight suburban growth into former fields. Genealogists and local historians can trace the foundations of these communities through numerous institutions, including the Meredith Drive Ch, the Olmstead Sch, and family burial grounds like Ridgedale Cem. The transportation network is anchored by the Chicago and North Western and the Des Moines Central Iowa RR, serving industrial points like the Borrow Pit near Johnston.