1966 Map of Shawnee Reservoir

About this map

The Shawnee Reservoir dominates the landscape of western Pottawatomie County, reaching northward toward the North Canadian River valley and the town of Mc Loud. This mid-1960s perspective, later updated in the 1970s, reveals a rural network of small communities and family landmarks, including the settlements of Bethel Acres and Pink. The mapping detail captures the social and religious centers of the time, such as Blackburn Chapel and Bethel Ch, alongside small rural burial grounds like Ray Cem and Black Cem. Along the northern edge, the heavy infrastructure of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads define the transportation corridor bypassing the reservoir. Evidence of early energy development appears via scattered Oil Wells and a Gas Well near the Brinton area.