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1950 Map of Towner NW

Name: 1950 Topographic Map of Towner NW
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1981
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1981

About this map

The Souris River meanders sharply through this McHenry County landscape, its tight oxbows and flood-prone banks protected in the north by the J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge. This mid-century survey reveals a rural society organized around small district schoolhouses and isolated homesteads. Landmarks such as Poplar Grove Sch No 1, Mouse River Sch No 1, and Red Cross Sch No 1 indicate the localized nature of education before consolidation.

Infrastructure in the region is defined by the Burlington Northern line and a protective Levee system designed to manage the river's path. Genealogists may find particular value in the location of the Mouse River Cem, situated on higher ground away from the winding riverbed. The map reflects a period of transition, where land use was heavily influenced by both the natural riparian environment and the requirements of the Missouri River Basin development program.