1977 Map of Wheaton West

About this map

The Wheaton township area and the sprawling wetlands of the Red River Valley are captured in this 1977 orthophotoquad, which combines photographic precision with topographic data. The landscape is dominated by the intricate hydrology of the Bois De Sioux River and the Mustinka River, tracing the natural border between Minnesota and South Dakota. The dramatic visual texture of Mud Lake and the northern reaches of Lake Traverse reveal the shifting shorelines and shallow basins characteristic of this glacial lake bed region. This transition from intensive grid-pattern agriculture to the wilder, marshy terrain of the river bottoms highlights the complex relationship between land use and the Red River of the North's drainage system. Produced in cooperation with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, this survey provides a stark, realistic view of the rural Midwest during the late 1970s.