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1955 Map of Grand Island

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Grand Island
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1980
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1980

About this map

Grand Island and the broad valley of the Platte River serve as the focal point for this mid-century look at central Nebraska and northern Kansas. The landscape is defined by the heavy infrastructure of the era, from the sprawling Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant to the dense network of the Union Pacific RR and Burlington Northern RR. These rail lines follow the historic path of the Platte, connecting grain-handling settlements like Lexington, Kearney, and Wood River.

To the south, the terrain shifts from the irrigated plains toward the Republican River and the newly established Harlan Co Lake. The map details smaller rail stops and rural centers such as Buda Station, Optic Station, and Doniphan, offering a clear view of the region's agricultural and industrial layout before the interstate system fully transformed the corridor. Significant water management projects are visible at Johnson Lake and along the various canals that deviate from the river systems.