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1918 Map of Peever

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Peever
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Browns Valley occupies the narrow land between Lake Traverse and Big Stone Lake, a critical geographic junction on the South Dakota and Minnesota border. During this era, the region was defined by the East Boundary of Sisseton and Wahpeton Indian Reservation, which bisects the landscape. The agrarian character of the early twentieth century is evident in the dense network of rural schoolhouses, including Erdman School, Becker School, and Flannery School.

Rail transport anchored the local economy, with the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul running through Peever while the Great Northern served the valley to the east. The terrain is marked by significant water features like Cottonwood Slough and the winding course of the Little Minnesota River, which drains the glacial valley floor. Genealogists can trace early twentieth-century land use through these named schools and the specific alignment of township boundaries like Harmon, Grant, and Becker.