2022 Map of Shields

About this map

The small community of Shields serves as the primary focal point of this western Kansas landscape, situated where W Washington St and Laredo meet. This survey reveals a terrain defined by the dendritic drainage patterns of the Walnut Creek system, specifically the N Fork Walnut Cr and Middle Fork Walnut Cr. The land is organized into a rigid grid of rural thoroughfares, such as Ogallalah Rd and Newton Rd, which cut across the High Plains topography. The transition from the flat tablelands to the deeply incised valleys of the N Fork Middle Fork Walnut Cr highlights the erosion-carved geography typical of Lane County, providing a clear view of how early homestead boundaries and later county roads were established in relation to these natural watercourses.