1962 Map of Medford West

About this map

The Straight River corridor defines the eastern edge of this 1960s landscape, where the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific railroad runs parallel to the waterway through the community of Medford. This area, situated along the border of Rice and Steele Counties, is marked by a transition from river valley to an engineered agricultural plain. To the west, the settlement of Deerfield is surrounded by a complex network of drainage systems, including Judicial Ditch No 5 and Judicial Ditch No 1, which reflect the extensive land reclamation efforts that converted the Pelican Lake Bed into productive farmland.