1951 Map of White River NE

About this map

The White River carves a deep path through the northern plains of this territory, defining the border between Jones and Mellette counties. The landscape is characterized by the complex drainage systems of Kaiser Creek and numerous unnamed coulees that feed into the main river valley. This era of rural South Dakota is marked by a network of isolated country schoolhouses that anchored remote homesteading communities, including Prosperity Flats Sch, Strait Sch, and Paleck Sch. Small-scale resource extraction and agriculture are evidenced by the presence of a Gravel Pit and a Windmill near the settlement of Westover. The topography reveals the transition from the high prairie flats of the Cody and Zickrick districts down into the broken, eroded breaks of the river valley, offering a detailed view of the terrain as it existed just after mid-century.