2011 Map of Lena

About this map

Lena and Calora serve as the primary markers of human settlement in this section of Arthur County, characterized by a series of family-named ranches and valleys. The landscape is defined by the unique topography of the Nebraska Sandhills, where water bodies like Swan Lake, Box Lake, and Three Mile Lake dot the terrain between ridges like Baldy Hill. Local road networks, including Whitman Rd and Swan Lake Dr, connect the far-flung agricultural operations of the Omara Ranch, Rothwell Ranch, and the Box Lake Ranch. The presence of several distinct valleys, such as Mill Camp Valley and Eleven Valley, suggests a reliance on the sheltered lowlands for grazing and homesteading in an otherwise exposed prairie environment. This survey captures a moment in the modern ranching era where established landholdings continue to define the geography of the central Nebraska plains.