1953 Map of Hereford SE

About this map

The Belle Fourche River snakes across this Meade County landscape, defining the transition between the river valley and the high southern plateaus. In the early 1950s, this area of South Dakota remained deeply rooted in a rural, pastoral economy, as evidenced by the distribution of one-room schoolhouses like Doyle Sch and Walthall Sch positioned north of the river. The topography is marked by significant elevation changes, with the northern section featuring the Cross S terrain and various drainage systems such as Dry Creek, Alkali Cr, and Elm Creek. A scattered presence of ranching infrastructure is noted by a lonely Windmill, emphasizing the reliance on groundwater in this part of the plains. This survey, conducted just after the mid-century, captures the exact drainage patterns and section lines that governed land ownership and local education before the consolidation of rural school districts.