Loading map...

1956 Map of Minnesota Ridge

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Minnesota Ridge
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1958
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1958

About this map

Rochford sits at the southern edge of this mid-century survey, a period when the industrial footprint of the Black Hills was shifting from active extraction to forest management. The presence of the Montana Mine (Inactive) and the Boxelder Sch (Abandoned) reflects a landscape in transition, where earlier mining and ranching infrastructure was beginning to fade. The high ground is dominated by the Custer Lookout Tower atop Custer Peak, providing a vital fire-watch vantage over the Black Hills National Forest and the namesake Minnesota Ridge.

Transportation patterns are defined by the convergence of the Chicago and North Western and Burlington and Quincy railroads near the junction of the North Fork Rapid Creek and South Fork Rapid Creek. This rail network supported local landmarks like Camp Pahá Sapa and Roubaix Lake, while smaller family and community sites like Mountain Meadow Cem remain preserved in the rugged draws of Silver Creek and Gimlet Creek.