1950 Map of Wiggins

About this map

Wiggins serves as the central hub of this agricultural landscape in Morgan County, situated along the Chicago Burlington and Quincy railroad line. The map reveals an intricate but shifting water management system necessary for High Plains farming, featuring an Irrigation Ditch (Abandoned) and the similarly defunct Mc Carthy Reservoir (Abandoned). These markers of early 20th-century water engineering sit alongside active drainage like Bijou Creek and Kiowa Creek. Outside the main town, the tiny settlement of Lambert and a solitary Cem reflect the sparse, rural nature of the district. The southern portion of the map is dominated by the broad, open expanse of Antelope Flats, where numerous windmills and wells punctuate the terrain, indicating the ongoing reliance on groundwater as irrigation practices evolved during the mid-century period.