Loading map...

1953 Map of Fort Meade

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Fort Meade
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1969
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1969

About this map

Bear Butte dominates the northern landscape of this mid-century survey, a prominent landmark rising above the surrounding plains and the Bear Butte National Wildlife Refuge. To the south, the Fort Meade Military Reservation serves as a primary anchor for the area, featuring the Fort Meade settlement and a sprawling Veterans Hospital complex. This era captures the transition of the old military post into a significant medical and administrative hub for western South Dakota.

Transport and education networks are clearly defined, with the Chicago and North Western railroad skirting the western edge near Sturgis. Local rural life is evidenced by a distribution of one-room schoolhouses, including Hamm Sch, Spring Creek Sch, and Carpenter Sch. The map also documents essential water sources like Bear Butte Lake and Alkali Creek, alongside historic burial sites such as the Fort Meade Cem.