1953 Map of Elba

About this map

The North Loup River valley dominates this mid-century portrait of Howard County, as the Union Pacific railroad tracks follow the river's path through the village of Elba. This 1953 survey, mapped as part of a Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, reveals a landscape structured by the township system and the demands of rural prairie life. The surrounding area is dotted with markers of early 20th-century settlement, including the St Joseph Cem, Elba Cem, and Cotesfield Cem. Scattered district schools like School No 54 and School No 2 provide evidence of the once-dense network of small rural communities. The map also traces the winding courses of numerous tributaries, such as Munson Creek and Cedar Creek, which feed the main river channel as it flows southeast toward the county line.