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1897 Map of Red Cloud

Name: 1897 Topographic Map of Red Cloud
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1897
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1897

About this map

The Republican River corridor defines the southern landscape of this 1893 survey, where river-valley agriculture and emerging rail lines shaped the early development of Webster and Franklin Counties. Red Cloud serves as a primary hub in the southeast, while the Burlington and Missouri River R. R. follows the river's path through settlements like Riverton and Franklin. To the north, the terrain transitions into a grid of townships, including Lincoln, Cosmo, and May, showing the systematic homesteading patterns of the era.

Transportation networks are heavily represented by three distinct railroads, including the Union Pacific R. R. passing through Minden and the St. Joseph and Grand Island R. R. serving Roseland. Smaller communities such as Macon and Upland are shown before the further consolidation of rural post offices, while natural landmarks like Silver Lake and the Little Blue River break the sprawling agricultural plains near the Nebraska Kansas Boundary Line.