1898 Map of Elk Point

About this map

The Missouri River and Big Sioux River converge at the tristate border of South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa in this late 19th-century survey. The landscape is defined by the sharp contrast between the floodplain of the Civil Bend and the surrounding uplands. Major transport networks of the era are clearly visible, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul R.R. and the Vermilion Ferry, which facilitated movement across the shifting river channels. The map records several early prairie settlements such as Elk Point, Vermillion, and Burbank, alongside more isolated outposts like Lodi and Alsen. Local landmarks like Spirit Mound stand out against the surveyed townships, while the presence of Lake Goodenough indicates the oxbow hydrology of the Big Sioux bottomlands before modern drainage and channelization significantly altered the valley floors.