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1893 Map of Hill City

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Hill City
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1922
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1922

About this map

Hill City serves as the focal point of this Graham County landscape, surveyed in the late nineteenth century when the High Plains were transitioning into established townships. The settlement of Nicodemus stands out as a significant historical landmark along the South Fork Solomon River, established by African American settlers during the Exoduster movement. To the south, the Union Pacific Railway corridor defines the development of Wakeeney, anchoring the southern edge of the map in Trego County.

Water governs the geography here, with the Saline River and its various tributaries like Trego Creek and Eagle Creek carving through the prairie. Smaller, more ephemeral sites such as Millbrook, Reford, and Paleo represent the network of early post offices and rail stops that supported the region's agricultural homesteads. The map illustrates a strictly organized grid of townships, including Wild Horse and Gettysburg, reflecting the systematic settlement patterns of the era.