1954 Map of Fairmont

About this map

Fairmont and its surrounding prairie lakes anchor this mid-century look at the borderlands between southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. At this stage in the region's development, the landscape is defined by a dense grid of rural townships and a sophisticated transportation network of major railroads, including the Chicago and North Western and the Chicago Milwaukee St. Paul and Pacific. Large-scale drainage and agricultural patterns are evident in the management of the Des Moines River and the preservation of the Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge.