2017 Map of Winfred SE

About this map

The glacial upland known as the Coteau des Prairies defines the landscape of this eastern South Dakota region, where the headwaters of the Vermillion River system begin their southward journey. This survey reveals a purely rural section of McCook, Lake, and Miner counties, organized by a rigid grid of section-line roads like 245th St and Co Hwy 58. Genealogists will find the Salem Lutheran Cem as a primary landmark for the early Norwegian and German families who settled these townships. The hydrology is dominated by the meandering paths of the Little Vermillion River and the E Fork Vermillion River, which cut across the high prairie. The map provides a clear record of land use and drainage patterns in a territory where the natural prairie was systematically converted into a productive agricultural grid.