1963 Map of Mouth of Shaw Creek

About this map

The Saline River meanders across the northern reaches of this Trego County landscape, carving a distinct valley through the Ogallah formation. Surveyed in the early 1960s, the terrain reveals a transition from the riparian environment of the river to the upland drainage basins of Shaw Creek and Spring Creek. The map documents a sparsely populated rural district where land use was primarily defined by the intersection of traditional water sources and emerging mineral interests. Notable industrial activity is concentrated in the southern and eastern portions of the quadrangle, evidenced by several Oil Wells and a Gravel Pit. These markers of resource extraction provide a precise view of the mid-century economy in Western Kansas, showing the infrastructure required to tap into the subterranean wealth of the High Plains.