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1900 Map of Lakin

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Lakin
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1915
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1915

About this map

Arkansas River water rights and irrigation dominate the landscape of southwest Kansas at the close of the nineteenth century. The Eastern Canal and the waters of Lake McKinney reflect the early efforts to harness the river for agriculture in this semi-arid region. Along the river corridor, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroad serves as the primary artery for trade and settlement, connecting towns like Lakin, Hartland, and Deerfield.

South of the river, the terrain shifts into the expansive townships of Arapahoe and Lincoln, where the settlement of New Ulysses sits near the Cimarron River. The map captures a moment when smaller outposts like Warrendale and Olive were established points on the prairie. This survey, conducted by A.H. Thompson and W.H. Herron, provides a detailed record of the early county boundaries and the network of section lines that organized the land for homesteading.