1943 Map of Shelby

About this map

The Great Northern railway anchors the development of Toole County in the mid-1940s, connecting the major hub of Shelby to northern outposts like Kevin and Virden. This area is defined by a ranching economy and the emergence of the oil industry, as seen in the settlement of Oilmont and numerous named family operations including Potter Ranch, Benjamin Ranch, and Wigand Ranch. The rural landscape is dotted with early educational landmarks, some already showing the shifting populations of the era, such as the Morton Sch (abandoned), alongside the active Aloe Sch and Prairie Dell Sch. Terrain features like the Dunkirk Coulee and the wide Alkali Flat southeast of the railroad illustrate the arid, challenging environment where early settlers established homesteads and the Morton Road and Mozer Road provided vital transit links between remote townships.