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1956 Map of Sterling

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Sterling
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1959
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1959

About this map

Sterling serves as the primary hub of this landscape in the mid-1950s, located in a region where the undulating terrain of Richards Brown and Richland meets an active energy economy. The map reveals a dense network of petroleum infrastructure scattered across the countryside, specifically within the designated Oil Field. Numerous sites marked as Oil well and Oil slush tank are concentrated along the winding course of Ninemile Creek and the southern reaches of Beaver Creek, illustrating the intersection of natural drainage and industrial extraction.

Local life is anchored by traditional rural institutions, including the High School in town and the Denton Church further east. The boundaries of Comanche County Stephens County cut through the eastern half of the sheet, where small settlements like Coxs Corner and Armstrong mark crossroads near the county line. This document provides a clear view of the mid-century transition in rural Oklahoma, as agricultural land was increasingly shared with the growing oil industry.