1982 Map of Goldman Lake

About this map

The German Valley defines the lower half of this landscape, where the Sandhills of northern Nebraska meet the ranching traditions of the early 1970s. This survey, edited in 1982, reveals a sparsely populated terrain dominated by large family holdings. These include the Black Ranch and Johnston Ranch to the north, and the Schneidereit Ranch situated centrally near the valley floor. Water management is central to life in this arid region, as evidenced by the namesake Goldman Lake and numerous wells scattered across the map to support livestock. The boundary between Brown County and Blaine County cuts across the northern section, marking a political division in an otherwise continuous stretch of dune-like topography. For genealogists and local historians, the specific placement of individual ranch houses like the Blake Ranch and Pickering Ranch provides a precise record of late 20th-century land use.