1953 Map of Rapid City 1 NW

About this map

Bear Butte Creek winds through the northern reaches of this Meade County landscape, defining a terrain shaped by the watercourses that descend toward the plains. The early 1950s settlement pattern is anchored by a network of rural schoolhouses, including Volunteer Sch, Wolff Sch, and the North Middle Alkali Sch, which served the scattered ranching and farming community. In the southern portion of the quadrangle, Alkali Creek parallels the path of the Alkali Road, a vital local artery connecting these remote homesteads. Near the Lower Alkali Sch, a Gravel Pit indicates localized resource extraction, supporting the maintenance of the unpaved road network. This survey, based on 1948 aerial photography, provides a detailed view of the section-line roads and drainages that organized life in western South Dakota before modern development altered the rural school districts.