Loading map...

1951 Map of Rackett

Name: 1951 Topographic Map of Rackett
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1951
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1951

About this map

Crescent Lake National Wildlife Refuge dominates the northwestern corner of this Garden County landscape, showing the transition from protected wetlands to the working cattle country of the Nebraska Sandhills. The settlement pattern is defined by isolated outposts and specialized camps like Peterson Camp, Wells Camp, and Avery Camp, reflecting a ranching economy that relied on widely dispersed water sources and seasonal stations.

Social life in this mid-century period centered on a network of rural schoolhouses, including South Sch No 71 and School No 74, and the community gathering point at Rackett Ch. Water features like Ward Lake and the Blue Creek drainage provided essential resources for established operations such as the Cochran Ranch and Seeley Ranch. The map captures a high-plains geography where family-named landmarks like Phillips Flats and Wildhorse Hill served as the primary navigational markers across the shifting terrain.