Loading map...

1901 Map of Paxton

Name: 1901 Topographic Map of Paxton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1946
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1946

About this map

Paxton and the surrounding Nebraska ranchlands are defined here by the critical water infrastructure of the late 19th century. Surveyed in 1898, this landscape shows the convergence of the North Platte River and the South Platte River, a geography that dictated the development of the region's transport and agriculture. The Union Pacific railroad tracks run parallel to the southern river branch, anchoring settlements like Sutherland and Hershey.

Away from the rail lines, the map reveals the scattered nature of early High Plains settlement through named homesteads such as Larie Ranch, Knights Ranch, and Duck Brand Ranch. A sophisticated network of irrigation, including the Sutherland and Paxton Canal and the North Platte Canal, illustrates the early efforts to harness the river system for the surrounding townships and ranges, while landmarks like Big Bald Hill rise above the branching drainages of West Birdwood Creek.