1957 Map of Farwell NW

About this map

Country schoolhouses define the social geography of this South Dakota prairie landscape during the mid-1950s. While Grenell Sch and Goering Sch remain active at the time of the 1957 survey, a shift in rural education is evident by the numerous closed facilities, including Hodson Sch, Sheldon Sch, Ludwig Sch, and Lyle Sch. These small, family-named landmarks served the agricultural townships of Union, Diana, Butler, and Ravenna. The terrain is characterized by the meandering James River in the southwest and the courses of Jim Creek and Dry Run, which cut through the open plains. This map was produced by the Geological Survey as part of the Department of the Interior's post-war program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, documenting the region's land use and hydrology.