1943 Map of Kelso

About this map

The Northern Pacific and Great Northern railroads anchor the agricultural economy of Traill County in this mid-century update of a 1918 military survey. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the Goose River and the Elm River, which cut through a dense grid of township boundaries and rural section lines. Small grain-handling centers and railway stops such as Hillsboro, Blanchard, and Kelso dot the plains, each serving as a hub for the surrounding townships of El Dorado, Bloomfield, and Bohnsack. A high concentration of rural schools, churches, and a centrally located Town Hall in Norway township reflect a period of established homestead settlement. Local history researchers can trace the specific locations of several rural cemeteries and numerous river crossings, including both Public and Private Crossings that connected isolated farmsteads to the primary rail corridors.