1973 Map of Richfield SW

About this map

Westola defines the central character of this southwestern Kansas landscape, captured during a 1972 aerial survey and field-checked the following year. This portion of Morton County is defined by its industrial transition, dominated by a systematic network of energy extraction across the High Plains. Dozens of sites marked Gas Well are peppered throughout the sections, illustrating the extensive development of the Hugoton Gas Area during the early 1970s. The terrain is marked by the winding depressions of dry creek beds and draws that cut through the shortgrass prairie, providing a stark contrast to the rigid grid of section lines and access roads that support the local gas economy. This map serves as a precise record of the infrastructure and land use in a sparsely populated corner of the state where the subterranean resources dictate the surface landscape.