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1917 Map of Chesaning

Name: 1917 Topographic Map of Chesaning
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1941
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1941

About this map

The Shiawassee River carves a winding path through this central Michigan landscape, serving as the historical anchor for settlements like Chesaning and Oakley. Surveyed just before the late 1910s, the map reveals a highly developed agricultural and industrial grid defined by an extensive system of man-made waterways, including the Blackmar Drain and Dygert Drain, which supported the region's productive flatlands. The intersection of resource extraction and transport is evident at the Six Mile Mine near New Haven, positioned within reach of the robust rail network.

Rail infrastructure dominated the era's economy, with the Michigan Central Railroad and Ann Arbor Railroad cutting through the terrain to connect rural hubs. For the genealogist, the map is remarkably dense with local landmarks, featuring dozens of one-room schoolhouses such as Morleytown School and Dutchtown School. Small hamlets and junctions like Parshallburg, Henderson, and Five Points North provide specific locations for family homesteads and long-gone rural social centers.