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1969 Map of Saint John

Name: 1969 Topographic Map of Saint John
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

The town of Saint John sits just south of the international border in Rolette County, serving as a gateway between North Dakota and Manitoba. This 1969 field-checked survey reveals the complex geography of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation, where the landscape is defined by a dense network of small glacial lakes and wetlands, including Byrnes Lake and Syrian Lake. The infrastructure of the era is anchored by the Burlington Northern railroad line cutting through the prairie toward the border, where the Port of Entry US Customs marks the transit point into Canada.

Local life is centered around the village and the outlying Houle Sch to the south. The terrain transition is sharp, moving from the lake-dotted hills of the reservation into the more open plains to the east. Historical researchers can identify several Gravel Pits and a dedicated Ski Area, illustrating the local industry and recreation that sustained this border community during the mid-20th century.