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1953 Map of New Ulm

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of New Ulm
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1979
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1979

About this map

The Minnesota River valley serves as the primary artery for this mid-century look at southern Minnesota, carving a diagonal path through a landscape defined by its agricultural grid and numerous prairie lakes. Established settlements like New Ulm, Montevideo, and Mankato anchor the region's commerce, while the rail infrastructure of the Chicago and North Western RR and the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific RR connects the smaller grain-handling towns across the plains.

Conservation areas and recreational sites are well-established by this era, with Upper Sioux Agency State Park and Lake Shetek State Park preserving key historical and natural features. The survey highlights the transition from river-bottom woodlands to the open prairie, where water bodies like Swan Lake and Lake Hanska break the vast patchwork of farmsteads and rural townships that comprise Brown County and its neighbors.