1918 Map of Battle Creek

About this map

The Kalamazoo River and the Battle Creek river provide the industrial backbone of this South Central Michigan landscape during the First World War. The city of Battle Creek is depicted as a growing manufacturing hub, flanked by early suburbs like Urbandale and Verona. A dense network of transport infrastructure is evident, with the Michigan Central, Grand Trunk, and the Michigan Electric Railroad converging on the urban center. The survey documents a landscape of small agricultural crossroads and rural education, featuring dozens of named schools such as the Little Brick School and Cobblestone School. To the north, the terrain becomes more varied in Assyria and Penfield, where features like the Upper Millpond and Base Line Church serve as local landmarks for families tracing their roots in Barry and Calhoun Counties.