1950 Map of Wanblee

About this map

Wanblee is the primary settlement on this 1950s survey, situated within the vast expanse of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The community is defined by its social and cultural institutions, including Gethsemane Cem and St Ignatius Cem, which provide significant data points for local genealogists. To the southwest, the Eagle Nest Sch stands near the headwaters of Eagle Nest Creek, illustrating the dispersed nature of education and settlement in this portion of South Dakota. The landscape is deeply dissected by a network of drainage systems, with Long Creek and Craven Creek carving through the terrain. This mapping was conducted as part of the Department of the Interior's Missouri River Basin development program, documenting the topographic character of the region shortly after aerial photography was captured in 1948.