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1971 Map of Peterson SW

Name: 1971 Topographic Map of Peterson SW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1973
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1973

About this map

The Little Sioux River carves a deep valley through the northwestern corner of this territory, where the sharp descent from the uplands is preserved within the Martin Area County Park and Nelson Area County Park. This area of Northwest Iowa shows a landscape defined by its drainage basins, with Badger Creek and the Maple River cutting across the central and southern sections. These waterways dictated the early settlement patterns and the placement of community infrastructure in rural Afton and the surrounding townships.

Local history is preserved in the location of several burial grounds and religious centers, including Spring Cem, Afton Cem, and Immanuel Ch. The landscape also reveals the functional needs of a mid-century agricultural community, from a small Landing Strip in the central fields to several Gravel Pits located near the river bends. The map captures the interface between the Cherokee and Buena Vista County line, documenting the exact layout of roads and farmsteads as they existed in the early 1970s.