1952 Map of Faith NW

About this map

The Moreau River carves a winding path through this portion of Perkins County, defining a landscape of sharp relief and seasonal waterways. Surveyed in the early 1950s as part of the Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, this map documents the area's transition into more intensive water management. The small settlement of Usta sits near the riverbanks, serving as a rare point of human habitation in a territory dominated by the drainages of Rabbit Creek and Deep Creek. Beyond the river valley, the terrain rises toward the Englewood heights, where the sparse presence of a solitary Windmill indicates the critical importance of groundwater for ranching in this semi-arid environment. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of South Dakota before later mid-century developments altered the regional hydrology.