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1913 Map of Newell

Name: 1913 Topographic Map of Newell
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1913
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1913

About this map

The Belle Fourche River winds through this western South Dakota landscape during a period of significant agricultural and infrastructure development. The arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Ry anchored the town of Newell, which serves as a central hub near the Butte Co Meade Co Boundary Line. An intriguing historical layer is added by the inclusion of irrigation ditches from the Belle Fourche project, noted in the margin as being based on 1913 data from the U.S. Reclamation Service, reflecting the era's push to transform the plains through water management.

Old wagon routes and early roads like the Bismarck Trail and Fairpoint Trail cross the terrain, connecting isolated outposts such as Station Elm, Empire, and Vale. High points like Castle Rock and Owl Butte provide prominent landmarks for navigating the drainage basins of North Fork Sulphur Creek and Horse Creek. The map also identifies local social centers like Butte Hall, offering genealogists a look at the early settlement patterns of Butte and Meade Counties.