1961 Map of Roan

About this map

The Snake River meanders across this Red River Valley landscape, joined by its South Branch near the center of the survey area. At the dawn of the 1960s, this region remained a critical rail corridor, anchored by the Soo Line and Burlington Northern railroads which slice through the prairie. The small settlement of Roan sits near the southwestern corner, reflecting the rural character of the borderlands between Marshall and Polk Counties. The presence of the Warren Municipal Airport and several Gravel Pits north of the river indicates the local infrastructure and industry of the era. The land is organized into the townships of McCrea, Brislet, and Helgeland, showing a classic midwestern section-line road grid that defines the agricultural geometry of Northwest Minnesota.