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1956 Map of Lake Byron SE

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Lake Byron SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Lake Byron and its surrounding prairie townships define this 1956 survey of Beadle County. The landscape is marked by the distinct glacial topography of Milford, Iowa, and Liberty townships, where the natural drainage of Shue Creek cuts through the terrain. A network of rural section roads connects the scattered symbols of mid-century community life, including several country schoolhouses like Milford Sch, Sunflower Sch, and Sunshine Sch.

Evidence of the local water table is visible through numerous Flowing Well labels, reflecting the region's reliance on artesian sources for agriculture. The placement of Bethel Ch and various farmstead clusters illustrates a stable, decentralized agrarian settlement pattern typical of the eastern South Dakota plains during the post-war era, prior to the widespread consolidation of rural districts.