2012 Map of McCracken Branch

About this map

White Rock Creek and its many tributaries, including the namesake McCracken Branch, carve a complex drainage pattern across this section of Jewell County. The landscape is defined by the steady intersection of rural section-line roads like Womer Road and County Road 630, which support a dispersed agricultural community. This 2012 survey illustrates the long-term settlement patterns of the region through its preservation of several local burial grounds, including Webb Hill Cemetery and Oriole Cemetery. Near the southern edge, Pleasant Plains Cemetery and Salem Cemetery sit among the headwaters of Pawnee Creek, while the presence of Shute Airport in the northeast corner indicates the continued importance of private aviation in the modern Kansas prairie. The map provides a precise look at the hydrology of the High Plains, tracing small watercourses like Louisa Creek and West Penny Creek.