1893 Map of Medicine Lodge

About this map

The Medicine Lodge River carves a path through the heart of Barber County, defining the settlement patterns of this 1890 survey. At the crossing of major drainage systems, Medicine Lodge serves as the central hub, supported by the reach of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad which skirts the northeastern and eastern edges of the sheet. The landscape is characterized by a dense network of watercourses, from Big Mule Creek in the southwest to the headwaters of Elm Mills in the north, showing how early ranching and farming communities were bound to these vital creek valleys.