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1908 Map of Bloomington

Name: 1908 Topographic Map of Bloomington
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1908
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1908

About this map

Bloomington serves as the focal point of this 1908 advance sheet, appearing just as the city and Indiana University were expanding into the surrounding hills of Monroe County. The map captures a landscape defined by a dense network of early 20th-century rural infrastructure, including a high concentration of named schools like Hardscrabble School and Vernal School and churches such as Bethlehem Church.

The rugged drainage basins of Bean Blossom Creek and Salt Creek frame the upland settlements. Significant rail corridors like the Southern and Illinois Central facilitate the connection between quarry towns like Ellettsville and smaller rural stops such as Smithville and Stanford. This survey provides a look at the township divisions, including Richland, Perry, and Indian Creek, at a time when local life was anchored by neighborhood landmarks like the Mt Orphan School and Ketchams Church.