1955 Map of Signal Hill

About this map

Black Hills National Forest land dominates this mid-1950s survey of the high country straddling the Pennington and Custer county line. The landscape is defined by deep incisions like Hell Canyon and its western fork, West Hell Canyon, which cut through the high ridges of the Black Hills. In this era, the area's human activity revolved around isolated ranching outposts and forestry management. A lone Lookout Tower stands atop Signal Hill, keeping watch over the timbered slopes, while scattered water sources such as Bear Spring and Alkali Spring supported local livestock. The map records the presence of the Alkali Sch (Abandoned), suggesting a contraction of the rural population as one-room schoolhouses were consolidated or left behind. Ranching families like the Dolls, Elliots, and Gahls are noted here, providing essential data for those tracing the agricultural history of western South Dakota.