2011 Map of Durant

About this map

Prairie Creek and the Big Blue River meander through this agricultural landscape in Polk County, defining the drainage patterns of the Great Plains during the early 21st century. The settlement of Durant appears as a small node within a rigid section-line road grid, characteristic of the region's homesteading history. While large-scale agricultural operations like Wright's Feedyard indicate the modern industrial scale of cattle ranching, the presence of the Pleasant Hill Cemetery in the southern portion of the map provides a vital link for genealogists researching the area's early settlers. Water management is a visible priority on this prairie terrain, evidenced by the Bjerrum Reservoir and its associated Bjerrum Dam, which together create a localized catchment system in an otherwise stream-fed environment.