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1954 Map of Fort Dodge

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Fort Dodge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1968
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

The Des Moines River and its numerous forks anchor this mid-century portrait of west-central Iowa, revealing a landscape defined by industrial development and public lands. In Fort Dodge, the presence of Gypsum extraction and a Power plant signal the city's role as a regional hub, while the surrounding prairie is dotted with institutional landmarks like the State Hospital and Women's Reformatory. The rail network is particularly dense here, featuring the Fort Dodge Des Moines and Southern alongside the Illinois Central and Chicago & North Western.

Recreational spaces are well-established by this era, with Dolliver Memorial State Park and Wanata State Forest Reserve preserved along the river bluffs. For genealogists, the map is a vital resource, identifying numerous unnamed Cemeteries and the small church at Mary Hill. The transition from the flat glacial plains to the more dissected terrain near Pilot Mound illustrates the natural drainage patterns of the Boyer River and Little Sioux River systems.