2015 Map of Elkton

About this map

Elkton and the smaller village of Ward anchor this landscape along the eastern edge of South Dakota, where the agricultural grid meets the Minnesota border. The topography is defined by the Coteau des Prairies, a high plateau that influences the drainage patterns of local waterways like Medary Cr and Spring Cr. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of Brookings and Moody Counties, showing a dense network of township roads and local avenues that connect outlying farms to the central settlements. Genealogists will find significant value in the documentation of several local burial sites, including Saint Marys Cem and Trinity Cem near the town center, as well as the German Evangelical Lutheran Cem further south. The map illustrates how these communities established themselves around the natural flow of Willow Cr and Mud Cr while following the rigid boundaries of the Public Land Survey System.