1982 Map of Oelrichs SW

About this map

Buffalo Gap National Grassland dominates this landscape along the state line in the early 1980s, revealing a vast expanse of public range land shared between South Dakota and Nebraska. The high plains terrain is defined by the prominent Slim Butte and a network of seasonal drainages including Horsehead Creek, Blacktail Creek, and Bohemian Creek. A significant piece of industrial infrastructure, the Chicago and North Western railroad, cuts through the northwestern corner of the quadrangle, following the natural corridor created by the creek valley. This provisional survey captures the intersection of Fall River County, South Dakota, and Dawes County, Nebraska, documenting the precise grassland boundaries and the sparse road network of a region where the economy was primarily tied to livestock grazing and the transport of goods by rail.