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1955 Map of Wakarusa

Name: 1955 Topographic Map of Wakarusa
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1971
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1971

About this map

Forbes Air Force Base dominates the central landscape of this Shawnee County survey, illustrating the significant military footprint in the region during the mid-century. To the north, the Potawatomi Indian Reservation Boundary cuts across the terrain near the Kansas Turnpike, marking a historic division of land. The map captures a period of suburban expansion south of Topeka, evidenced by residential developments like Cullen Village and Terra Heights, while older community hubs such as Berryton and Pauline maintain their identities along the Missouri Pacific and Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe rail lines.

Rural life is anchored by several country schools and cemeteries, including the Lynn Creek Cem and Shawnee Center Cem. The meandering Wakarusa River and its tributaries, such as Towhead Creek and Shunganunga Creek, define the drainage patterns of the area. Modern infrastructure of the early 1970s, including the South Topeka Interchange and various radio facilities, appears in purple revision, showing the rapid growth overtaking the earlier agricultural landscape.