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1908 Map of Waukee

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of Waukee
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1949
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1949

About this map

Waukee and the surrounding townships of Dallas and Polk counties appear here at a pivotal moment of agricultural and industrial expansion during the early twentieth century. The landscape is defined by a dense grid of section lines and the convergent paths of major railroads, including the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul RR and the Minneapolis and St. Louis RR. These steel arteries linked growing trade centers like Dallas Center and Grimes to the broader regional economy, while small rural education hubs like Valley Grove School and Pleasant Plain School served the farming families of Walnut and Grant townships.

To the south, the terrain shifts from flat prairie to the winding valleys of the North Raccoon River and South Raccoon River, which meet near Van Meter. Topography by Basil Duke highlights the varied elevation around Rock Island and the confluence at Booneville. The map also captures several smaller settlements and sidings like Ashawa, Campbell, and Ortonville, offering a clear view of the social and economic geography before mid-century modernization changed the rural character of the Des Moines periphery.