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1955 Map of Fort Riley NE

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Fort Riley NE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Fort Riley Military Reservation dominates the southern landscape of this 1950s survey, illustrating the extensive military footprint in northeastern Kansas during the mid-century. The map captures a transition between the organized grids of Madison and Milford townships and the rugged drainage basins of Wildcat Creek and Sevenmile Creek. This period reveals a landscape of rural education and community markers, such as Magic School and the Vinton School, alongside early infrastructure like Governor Harvey Canyon Road.

Genealogists and local historians can trace legacy sites like Shanks Cemetery and Vinton Cemetery, which remain as fixed points while transportation shifted. The route of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific RR cuts across the northern corners, while an observation tower stands sentinel over the military reserve. The complex interlocking of Riley and Geary counties is clearly delineated, showing how political boundaries navigated the winding creeks and hills of the Kansas prairie.