1951 Map of Van Metre

About this map

Van Metre sits at the heart of this South Dakota landscape, positioned where the Chicago and North Western railroad tracks parallel the winding course of the Bad River. The terrain is defined by the sharp, dissected breaks of the river valley, where seasonal drainages like Plum Creek and Dry Creek carve through the prairie. This 1951 field-checked survey, updated in the 1980s, reveals a remote ranching and transit landscape at the border of Stanley Co and Jones Co. The proximity of the rail line to the river suggests the importance of water access and transport infrastructure in this section of the Missouri River Basin development area. While the settlement at Van Metre remains small, its role as a named station along the railroad highlights its historical significance as a shipping point for the surrounding cattle country.