1966 Map of Shawnee Reservoir

About this map

The Shawnee Reservoir dominates the landscape of this Pottawatomie County region, its jagged fingers stretching across the townships of Bales Twp and Brinton. By the mid-1960s, the area's infrastructure reflects a transition from rural agriculture to specialized industry and recreation, with several Oil Wells and Gas Wells appearing near the reservoir’s western banks. The northern reach is defined by the Canadian River and a significant rail corridor where the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe railroads converge near Mc Loud. Local history and genealogy interest is concentrated in smaller communities like Bethel Acres and long-standing landmarks such as Blackburn Chapel and the Newhope Sch. The map also captures several rural burial grounds, including Ray Cem and Brown Cem, providing a spatial record of the county’s settlement patterns prior to late-century suburban expansion.