1954 Map of Quinn Table

About this map

The Quinn Table plateau dominates the western landscape of this mid-century survey, rising sharply from the drainages of the Cheyenne River and Sage Creek. This topographical study, produced as part of the Missouri River Basin development program, captures a rural landscape defined by sparse upland settlements and the erosion-carved terrain of the Badlands. Education in this isolated ranching country was anchored by small local schoolhouses, including the Lincoln Sch in the north and the Quinn Table Sch further south. The map documents the intricate water management of the era, from the Lakner Dam to a solitary Windmill marking a life-sustaining well. A portion of the Badlands National Monument is visible in the southeast, where landmarks like White Butte stand above the deeply incised channels of South Fork Sage Creek and Johnson Creek.