1964 Map of Plessis

About this map

The small unincorporated communities of Plessis and Epping serve as the primary focal points for this mid-1960s agricultural landscape in O'Brien County. The era is defined by the intersection of rail and water, where the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific railroad cuts a diagonal path across the northeastern townships, while the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific runs east-to-west through the center of the quadrangle. These rail corridors, alongside the Floyd River and Waterman Creek, historically dictated the placement of local infrastructure, including a Pumping Station and an electrical Substation. The map reveals a highly structured grid of section lines typical of the prairie grain belt, dotted with scattered farmsteads and a local Cem that speak to the generational family settlement of the region. This 1964 survey captures the rural layout before modern agricultural consolidation significantly altered the small-scale field patterns and local drainage features like Mill Creek.