1951 Map of Mason City SW

About this map

South Loup River meanders through the heart of this central Nebraska landscape, defining a wide valley of Flat Bottom terrain where early agricultural life is marked by a network of rural schools. The map captures the meeting point of Custer, Dawson, and Buffalo counties, showing the modest settlement of Cumro in the northwest and the Milton Store further south. Education was clearly a focal point for the homesteading families of this era, as evidenced by several localized schoolhouses including Victory Hill Sch and Sunny Slope Sch. To the south, the headwaters of the Wood River and Wild Horse Creek begin to drain the loess hills, while Otter Valley provides a distinct geographical corridor. For family historians, the presence of the Box Elder Cem near the northern boundary provides a critical point of reference for the pioneering residents of the Custer County line.