1968 Map of Blue Rapids SE

About this map

Tuttle Creek Lake dominates the central landscape of this 1960s survey, representing the massive hydrological changes that redefined the Big Blue River valley. The presence of an Old Railroad Grade and the Proctor Cem offer clues to the pre-inundation settlement patterns of Marshall and Pottawatomie counties. Much of the riparian zone is dedicated to the Tuttle Creek Lake State Wildlife Management Area, preserving the confluence where the Vermillion River meets the main channel. Distinctive topographic features like Indian Mound and Twin Mounds rise above the surrounding drainages of Game Fork and Spring Creek, while scattered industrial activity is marked by a Quarry and Sandpit. The map captures a moment when the regional focus shifted from the old rail-and-river economy toward large-scale conservation and water management.