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1947 Map of Bedford

Name: 1947 Topographic Map of Bedford
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The borderlands of Barry and Calhoun counties in the late 1940s are defined by a dense network of rural schoolhouses and small glacial lakes. This topography reflects a landscape of dispersed agricultural communities, where social life revolved around local landmarks like Bethel Chapel and numerous namesake schools such as Checkered Sch, Poorman Sch, and Eagle Sch. The terrain is characterized by a complex drainage system including Wabascon Creek and Spring Brook, which feed into the numerous basins that dot the townships of Johnstown, Assyria, Bedford, and Pennfield.

Tracing the early settlement patterns of the region, the map reveals the layout of small villages like Lacey and the eponymous Bedford before significant mid-century suburban expansion. Local genealogists will find value in the specific locations of rural burying grounds, including Ellis Cem, Iden Cem, and West Pennfield Cem, which remain as permanent fixtures in a landscape otherwise undergoing gradual modernization and infrastructure development.