1955 Map of Guelph

About this map

The James River meanders through the eastern portion of this Dickey County landscape, shaping a wide floodplain that includes the James River National Wildlife Refuge and Dakota Lake. The map illustrates a mid-century agricultural region defined by the townships of Clement, Hudson, Port Emma, and Riverdale. Transportation is anchored by two major rail lines: the Great Northern railroad passing through Guelph in the west, and the Chicago and Northwestern serving the community of Ludden in the southeast corner. The terrain is marked by numerous depressions and wetlands characteristic of the drift prairie, with specific local resources noted such as a Flowing Well and several instances of a Gravel Pit. Genealogists may find the Ludden Cem and the precise platting of these small prairie settlements particularly valuable for tracing local history.