Loading map...

1954 Map of Fruitdale

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

USGS Topo · Published 1968

About this map

Belle Fourche Reservoir dominates this South Dakota landscape, its waters contained by the Orman Dam as part of the Missouri River Basin development. The irrigation infrastructure defining the local agricultural economy is highly visible through systems like the North Lateral, South Lateral, and the Inlet Canal, which redirect water from the Belle Fourche River. To the west, the Belle Fourche National Wildlife Refuge provides a contrast of preserved terrain against the managed waterways.

Genealogists and local historians can trace the rural infrastructure of the mid-1950s, centering on the small community of Fruitdale. The map preserves the locations of vital early social hubs including the Orman Sch and Snoma Sch, along with the Danish Cem and Snoma Cem. Transport for the region's produce was anchored by the Chicago and North Western railroad, which runs parallel to the river. Prominent landmarks such as Susie Peak and Cerro Buttes rise above the drainage basins of Dry Creek and Indian Creek.