2013 Map of East Chain

About this map

East Chain sits as the central settlement in this agricultural landscape of southern Martin County, dominated by a network of drainage ditches and prairie lakes. The map illustrates a highly managed hydrologic system where County Ditch Number Sixtyfour and County Ditch Number Sixty-nine coordinate with natural waterways like Little Badger Cr to support the surrounding farmland. This intersection of natural and engineered water management is characteristic of the region’s development into a productive farming corridor. For those tracing local history, the placement of Pleasant Prairie Cem and Calkins Farm Cem provides specific markers of early community identity. The prominence of East Chain Lake and the smaller Sager Lake break the grid of section roads, showing how the original topography still influences the layout of rural transit and land use near the Iowa border.