1950 Map of Spade Ranch

About this map

Spade Ranch and the tiny settlement of Brighton anchor this mid-century survey of Nebraska’s Sandhills region. The landscape is defined by a rhythmic series of valleys and hills, including Survey Valley, Kincaid Valley, and Argo Hill. Dozens of small lakes and marshes dot the lowlands between these ridges, such as Mother Lake, Smith Lake, and Billys Lake. A network of numbered schoolhouses, including School No 161 and School No 158, reveals the rural social structure of the era when these small district schools were the primary gathering points for ranching families.