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1893 Map of Medicine Lodge

Name: 1893 Topographic Map of Medicine Lodge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1906
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1906

About this map

Medicine Lodge serves as the primary hub of activity in this late 19th-century survey of Barber County, where the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad terminates. The landscape is defined by the dendritic drainage patterns of the Medicine Lodge River and its numerous tributaries, including Antelope Creek and Walnut Creek. To the north, the small settlement of Isabel sits along a separate rail spur, while rural centers like Sun City and Lake City anchor the western reaches of the territory.

The map reveals a transition from the structured township divisions of Springvale and Paxson to the dissected terrain of the Barber and Eagle districts. Genealogists will find interest in the dispersed network of local post offices and small settlements such as Mingona, Deer Head, and Hardtner, which reflect the early agrarian footprint of the region before 20th-century consolidation. The presence of Elm Mills suggests localized water-powered industry along the South Elm Creek drainage.