1950 Map of Wiggins

About this map

Wiggins sits at the nexus of the Burlington Northern railroad and several shifting watercourses on the high plains of Morgan County. The landscape is defined by the broad, sandy washes of Bijou Creek and Kiowa Creek, which slice through the flat terrain. Evidence of early twentieth-century attempts to manage this arid environment is visible in the network of irrigation infrastructure, including the Irrigation Ditch and the clearly marked McCarthy Reservoir (Abandoned). Small settlements like Lambert and the presence of a rural Cem northeast of town reflect the agricultural and rail-oriented foundations of the community. The southern portion of the map transitions into the expansive Antelope Flats, where Antelope Creek and various unnamed windmills underscore the reliance on groundwater for ranching and farming operations during this era of post-war development and limited revision.