1972 Map of Red Butte SW

About this map

Brush Creek winds through the rolling uplands of Oliver County, carving a drainage pattern that defines this rural landscape in the early 1970s. This survey, conducted by the Geological Survey in cooperation with the State of North Dakota Water Commission, captures a sparsely settled agricultural region where section lines dictate the road network. Notable for local history and genealogy are the small community landmarks that persist in the open country, including St Benedict Cem in the northwest and Buchmann Cem in the southeast corner. The terrain is further shaped by the headwaters of Coyote Creek and Otter Creek, illustrating the complex water table management crucial to North Dakota's prairie economy. The map provides a precise record of farmstead locations and unimproved roads as they existed before modern land-use changes.