1953 Map of McIntosh

About this map

The Standing Rock Indian Reservation and Cheyenne River Indian Reservation dominate this landscape during a period of significant hydrological change. The Missouri River corridor, shown here as the developing Lake Oahe, reflects the impacts of mid-century dam projects on tribal lands and riverfront settlements like Mobridge. The Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad cuts across the northern plains, anchoring a line of cattle-shipping towns including McIntosh, McLaughlin, and Morristown. To the south, the rail line through Isabel and Timber Lake serves the more fragmented terrain of the Cheyenne River drainage. The map preserves the locations of numerous family-named landmarks and isolated resources, such as the Keller Mine and Little Moreau St Pk, alongside traditional indigenous place names like Iron Lightning and Little Eagle. This survey captures the transition from open range to the modern era of regulated water and state-managed recreation.