Loading map...

1896 Map of Edgeley

Name: 1896 Topographic Map of Edgeley
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1896
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1896

About this map

Three distinct rail lines converge on the central plains of North Dakota in this late nineteenth-century study, marking the rapid expansion of transport infrastructure across LaMoure and Dickey counties. The Northern Pacific Railroad Fargo and Southwestern Br. enters from the east, while the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul R. R. cuts a long diagonal path through the settlement of Edgeley. Further south, the Minneapolis St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie R. R. connects smaller outposts like Merricourt and Monango.

The landscape is organized into named townships such as Swede, Norway, and Spring Valley, reflecting the cultural heritage of the homesteaders who settled the region. Beyond the established rail hubs of Kulm and Ellendale, the map captures early hamlets like Lorraine and Medberry before decades of agricultural consolidation. Natural features are sparse in this prairie terrain, with Raney Lake in the northwest standing as one of the few prominent bodies of water.