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1894 Map of Ness

Name: 1894 Topographic Map of Ness
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Ness City and Jetmore serve as the primary hubs in this late nineteenth-century survey of west-central Kansas. The landscape is defined by the early expansion of the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, which tracks through the northern and southern portions of the territory, connecting frontier outposts like Bazine and Marena. The map reveals a transition from open prairie to a surveyed grid of townships such as Centre and Marena, highlighting the systematic settlement of the High Plains.

Water sources were vital for these early communities, with Walnut Creek and the Pawnee River providing the necessary irrigation and drainage for the emerging agricultural economy. Genealogists can locate specific early post offices and small settlements like Schoharie P.O., Sidney, and Harold, many of which were tied directly to the progress of the rail lines or reliable creek crossings like Buckner Creek.