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1983 Map of Thatcher

Name: 1983 Topographic Map of Thatcher
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1984
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1984

About this map

The Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge dominates the northern reaches of this Cherry County landscape, where the Niobrara River carves through the sandhills of northern Nebraska. By the early 1980s, the area remained defined by a scattered network of prominent family holdings, including the Paxson Ranch, Taylor Ranch, and Swanson Ranch. These ranching operations and the small settlement at Thatcher were linked by the tracks of the Chicago and North Western railroad, which bisects the quadrangle from east to west.

Genealogists and local historians can locate specific family landmarks like the Taylor Cem and the Ormesher Ranch, providing a clear record of land use and occupancy before the turn of the 21st century. The transition from the river valley in the northwest to the feeder waters of Fairfield Creek in the south illustrates the hydrological patterns that have sustained this cattle-country economy for generations.