1958 Map of Drake NW

About this map

The Minneapolis St Paul and Sault Ste Marie rail corridor dominates this central North Dakota landscape, running through the growing community of Drake and past the aviation grounds at the Landing Field. This era of the late 1950s shows the heavy reliance on these rail lines for transporting grain and regional resources through the prairie. To the west of town, the waters of the Wintering River feed into Bentley Lake, near which Camp Bentley provided a local landmark for outdoor gatherings. The terrain is defined by the broad Antelope Valley and the elevation of Montgomery Hill, while the local infrastructure includes a rural Town Hall and a Gravel Pit, reflecting the agrarian and industrial foundations of McHenry County. The map provides a look at the township boundaries of Balfour, Strege, Land, and Spring Grove before later modern developments altered the local drainage patterns.