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1990 Map of Irwin SW

Name: 1990 Topographic Map of Irwin SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1990
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1990

About this map

The Niobrara River winds across the southern reaches of this landscape, its path defining the northern edge of the Lavaca Flats. This 1990 survey captures a region of Nebraska characterized by isolated ranching operations and the remnants of rural education hubs. The presence of School No 78 in the north and School No 41 in the east suggests a distributed settlement pattern where these small schoolhouses once served as vital community anchors for distant homesteads.

Settlement is concentrated around family holdings such as the Harmon Ranch and Balius Ranch, connected by unimproved roads and trails. Near the river, Lions Bridge provides a crossing point, while the small settlement of Bayonne sits centrally among the hills. Water remains the primary shaper of the terrain, from the southern flow of the Niobrara to the northern Gay Lake and the various drainage ditches and springs that support the local cattle economy.