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1940 Map of Dorchester

Name: 1940 Topographic Map of Dorchester
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1950
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1950

About this map

Dorchester serves as the central hub of this Nebraska landscape, where the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad cuts a diagonal line across the prairie. The terrain is defined by the winding course of the Big Blue River and its West Fork Big Blue River, with several dams noted along their lengths. The map reveals an exceptionally dense network of rural infrastructure typical of the pre-war era, characterized by a one-room schoolhouse nearly every few miles.

Genealogists will find a wealth of specific local landmarks, from Columbus Hall to family-named schools like Hodge Sch and Buckingham Sch. The intersection of Seward and Saline County lines passes through a landscape dotted with vanished social centers like Monroe Center and Pleasant Hill. Rural life in the 1930s is further evidenced by named cemeteries such as Gilbert Cem and Union Cem, and numerous country churches that once anchored these farming townships.