1959 Map of McKenna

About this map

The Nisqually River carves a winding course through the center of this landscape, separating Pierce and Thurston counties and defining the industrial and agricultural patterns of the late 1950s. On its banks, the settlement of McKenna sits adjacent to a complex rail network including the Northern Pacific and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific. This era highlights a transition between military land use and local development, as the Fort Lewis Military Reservation occupies the northern half of the sheet, featuring the small settlement of Muck City and Lewis Lake. Further south, the open expanses of Yelm Prairie and Smith Prairie are marked by rural infrastructure such as the Grange Hall, reflecting the region's mid-century dependency on rail transport and fertile ground. The map also captures the local connectivity provided by early roads like Bald Hill Road and the scattered water bodies of Harts Lake and Goodwin Lake.