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1902 Map of North Platte

Name: 1902 Topographic Map of North Platte
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1921
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1921

About this map

North Platte serves as the focal point of this 1899 survey, situated at the critical junction where complex irrigation networks meet the North Platte River. The landscape reveals a burgeoning agricultural economy defined by an extensive system of waterways, including the Birdwood Canal, Paxton and Hershey Canal, and the Union Pacific Canal. These engineering works, alongside the Union Pacific R. R., illustrate the transformation of the Platte Valley into a managed corridor for transport and farming.

Beyond the river valley, the map documents a network of small settlements and rural nodes such as Lemley, Newberries Crossroads, and Dorp. To the north, the terrain transitions into the sandhills, where isolated landmarks like Lamplaugh Lake and the South Fork Loup River emerge. The presence of varied sloughs and canyons, including Beer Slough and Cottonwood Canyon, highlights the natural drainage patterns that both challenged and supported early settlers in Lincoln and McPherson counties.