1950 Map of Wanblee

About this map

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation lands dominate this mid-century survey, centered on the settlement of Wanblee. The landscape is defined by the drainage patterns of Eagle Nest Creek and Craven Creek, where the transition from higher plateau to creek bed is marked by detailed topographic contours. The community layout in Wanblee is documented alongside critical local institutions including Gethsemane Cem and St Ignatius Cem. Farther south, the Eagle Nest Sch stands as a primary landmark in a region otherwise characterized by isolated homesteads and open rangeland. This 1950 field check captures the area during the Department of the Interior program for the development of the Missouri River Basin, providing a snapshot of the infrastructure and land use in this part of South Dakota before later modernizations.