1969 Map of Smithland

About this map

The Little Sioux River valley dominates this western Iowa landscape, where the river winds southward through a complex network of bluffs and hollows. The settlement of Smithland sits at the northern end of this corridor, situated where the river makes a sharp bend near Smoky Hollow and Cottonwood Hollow. Downstream, the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Railroad provides a critical industrial link through the valley floor, connecting the smaller hamlets of Rodney and Ticonic. This 1960s survey documents a deeply agricultural region defined by its drainage patterns, from Parnell Creek in the northeast to Barber Creek and McMaster Creek. Genealogists will find notable value in the precisely marked locations of Smithland Cem, Hollister Cem, and Grant Cem, while the inclusion of the Maynard Landing Strip and an Old Railroad Grade offers evidence of shifting transportation priorities in the mid-20th century.