1958 Map of Great Bend

About this map

The Arkansas River and Smoky Hill River dominate this mid-century portrait of Central Kansas, where agriculture and early infrastructure converge across the High Plains. The landscape is marked by significant engineering projects of the era, including the Cedar Bluff Dam and Kanopolis Dam, which created the large reservoirs seen at the western and eastern edges. Historical military presence is preserved through labels for Fort Larned and Fort Zarah, key points along older westward routes that evolved into the modern rail and road networks shown here.