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1970 Map of St James West

Name: 1970 Topographic Map of St James West
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1972
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1972

About this map

St James serves as the focal point of this 1970 survey, where the Chicago and North Western railroad forms a distinct industrial corridor through the community. The map illustrates the town's transition from the dense street grid near the High Sch and Po to the recreational spaces of Memorial Park along the shores of St James Lake. To the south, the landscape is defined by its glacial hydrology, with Kansas Lake and Long Lake providing significant landmarks for local navigation and drainage.

The rural character of Watonwan County is captured through the distribution of community hubs like Echols and rural institutions such as Kansas Lake Ch and Long Lake Ch. Along the South Fork Watonwan River, the terrain shifts toward more riparian features, including a Pumping Station and local Townhall. This era shows the developed road network, from named town thoroughfares like Armstrong Blvd to the section-line roads that connected isolated farms to the regional rail and agricultural economy.