1954 Map of Elm Springs SW

About this map

The Belle Fourche River winds through the northern reaches of this Meade County landscape, joined by its tributaries Elm Creek and Hay Creek. This 1954 field check, conducted as part of the Department of the Interior's Missouri River Basin development program, documents a rural expanse defined by its seasonal waterways and sparse community landmarks. Local social life is anchored by the Sweet Clover Sch in the western section of the sheet, while the southern border is defined by the course of Elk Creek. Along the banks of Elk Creek lies Lakeside, a notable point of interest in an otherwise open terrain. The mapping detail reveals the complex drainage patterns of the region, including smaller features like Adams Draw, illustrating the relationship between the prairie hydrology and the scattered infrastructure of mid-century South Dakota.