1972 Map of South of Pierre

About this map

Richland township defines the southwestern portion of this 1970s landscape, an area characterized by the winding drainages of the Missouri River plateau. Watercourses like Gray Blanket Creek in the northwest and Antelope Creek cutting through the center provide the primary relief in this prairie environment. The presence of a remote Landing Strip near Cedar Creek in the southeast suggests the necessity of light aircraft for managing large agricultural holdings or navigating the wide-open spaces of Central South Dakota. Crossing the multi-county boundary where Stanley, Jones, and Lyman counties meet, this sheet illustrates the vastness of the High Plains ranching country. The detailed mapping of fence and field lines, noted by the Department of the Interior, offers researchers a precise view of rural land use and property divisions as they existed before late-century shifts in regional agribusiness.