1943 Map of Battle Creek

About this map

Battle Creek is depicted at the height of its mid-century industrial and residential expansion, with its complex street grid extending into Urbandale and Verona. The confluence of the Kalamazoo River and the Grand Battle Creek anchors the urban core, where the Grand Trunk Railway and New York Central Road converge to serve the local manufacturing economy. Outside the city, the landscape of Calhoun and Barry Counties is defined by a dense network of one-room schoolhouses like Cobblestone Sch and Stephens Sch, many of which served the small rural communities at Moores Corners and Sandford Corners. Water management for local industry is evident at the Upper Millpond, while recreation and natural features are concentrated around Goguac Lake and the various glacial lakes to the north, including Bristol Lake and Ackley Lake.