1969 Map of Shirley

About this map

The Yellowstone River carves through this Custer County landscape, serving as a corridor for the dual rail lines of the Milwaukee Chicago St Paul and Pacific and the Burlington Northern. The settlement of Shirley sits at the junction of these transit routes, while Bonfield marks a point further north along the riverbanks. The infrastructure here is defined by early-century industrial and agricultural development, including a Pumping Sta and the Main Canal which draws water toward the Kinsey area. To the east and south, the terrain transitions into a dense network of coulees and drainages such as Dead Horse Creek, Deep Creek, and North Dixon Creek. This map reveals the intricate water management of the High Plains, from the McFarland Reservoir in the south to various springs and a Landing Strip that supported the remote ranching operations of the late 1960s.