1954 Map of Wasta SE

About this map

Chicago and North Western tracks trace a diagonal path through this 1954 Pennington County landscape, following the course of Bull Creek toward the northwest. The terrain is defined by the stark transition between the elevated Lake Flat and the deeply eroded breaks of Cedar Canyon. This survey captures the rural infrastructure of the mid-1950s, highlighting the placement of local centers of learning such as Cedar Butte Sch and Pennington Square Sch, which served the ranching families scattered across the Wasta region. The topography is anchored by the prominent Cedar Butte, a high point overlooking a complex network of draws and windmills that reveal the era's reliance on groundwater and rail transportation for prairie survival.