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1954 Map of Ord SE

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Ord SE
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1978
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1978

About this map

The North Loup River valley dominates this 1950s landscape, serving as the central artery for both natural drainage and human industry. Irrigation infrastructure is highly developed, evidenced by the North Loup Canal winding through the basin to support the agricultural productivity of the Springdale and North Loup townships. This era shows a community tightly linked by education and rail, with rural schools like Springdale Sch and Maiden Valley Sch serving dispersed farmsteads between the river and the broken terrain of McDowell Canyon.

Transportation corridors follow the water, with the Union Pacific and Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroads tracing the valley floor. Small loading points and junctions such as Spelts and Olean highlight the mid-century logistics of moving Valley County grain to market. While the river remains the primary geographic feature, the interplay of these rail lines and the village of North Loup illustrates the peak of the region's rail-dependent agricultural economy.