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1965 Map of Otis

Name: 1965 Topographic Map of Otis
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1967
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1967

About this map

Industrial activity and agricultural town sites define this mid-1960s survey of central Kansas. Otis sits at the intersection of the Missouri Pacific railroad and local transport routes, serving as a hub for both the surrounding prairie and specialized energy infrastructure. The presence of a large refinery and the Bureau of Mines Helium Plant south of town underscores the region's importance to the national helium supply and petroleum economy during the Cold War era.

Local life is recorded through the distribution of rural landmarks, including the Lutheran Cem and the Shaffer Sch in the southwestern corner of the quadrangle. Drainage patterns are dominated by Blood Creek, which carves through the terrain of Pleasantdale and Fairview townships. The map also meticulously captures the network of pipelines and fence lines that partitioned the landscape into its distinct farming and ranching units.