Loading map...

1956 Map of Bearcreek

Name: 1956 Topographic Map of Bearcreek
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1957
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1957

About this map

Small country churches and community centers anchor the rural landscape of Cedar and Polk counties in the mid-1950s. The settlement of Bearcreek serves as a local crossroads, situated near the confluence of Bear Creek and Spring Creek. The terrain is defined by a dense network of seasonal drainages, including Alder Branch, Crabtree Branch, and Price Branch, which feed into the Little Sac River in the southwestern corner.

Genealogists will find significant value in the distribution of family and community landmarks, such as the Friendship Community Hall and several rural congregations including Lindley Prairie Ch, Forest Home Ch, and Sand Hill Ch. The presence of The Mound and Indian Ridge suggests a landscape where local navigation relied heavily on prominent natural rises and the winding paths of the local creeks. This survey captures the area just before significant modernization, preserving the locations of remote homesteads and parish centers across the townships of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison.