1956 Map of Ellendale North

About this map

The prairie landscape of Dickey County is defined here by the intersection of early transportation and rural education in the mid-1950s. Ellendale serves as the regional hub at the bottom of the map, where the Great Northern railroad terminates and meets the north-south tracks of the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific. This rail corridor passes through the small siding of Duane as it cuts across the townships of Keystone, Elden, and Van Meter. Away from the rail lines, the agricultural character of the region is evident in the placement of rural schoolhouses such as Farming Valley Sch No 2 and Farming Valley Sch No 3. The presence of the Ellendale Airport just north of the city limits marks the transition of this Great Plains community into the post-war era of aviation.