1953 Map of Stratford

About this map

Stratford serves as the central hub of this mid-century survey, situated at a junction of the Minneapolis and St Louis railroad and a grid of rural section roads. The landscape is defined by the winding course of the James River, which meanders through the townships of Gem and Rondell. The surrounding prairie is dotted with institutional markers of early South Dakota community life, including several rural schoolhouses such as Schumaker Sch and Lone Star Sch, and the local Lutheran Ch. This 1953 survey records a period of agricultural stability in Brown County, where drainage features like Moccasin Creek and Mud Creek intersect with family-centered landmarks. Genealogists will find particular value in the precise locations of East Rondell Cem and Oakwood Cem, providing a clear record of the area's pioneer settlements before late-twentieth-century consolidation.