2017 Map of Chester

About this map

Chester and the small crossroads of Carlisle anchor this rural landscape in Eaton County, where agricultural fields are defined by a grid of township-line highways and historical drains. The northern reaches of the quadrangle are shaped by the winding Thornapple River and its tributary, the Little Thornapple River, which flow through the glacial terrain. Genealogy researchers will find several local burial grounds documented here, including Cogsdil Cem, Millerburg Cem, and West Carmel Cem, which serve as quiet markers of the area's 19th-century pioneer settlement. Evidence of specialized land use is found at the Wend Valley Airport near the center of the sheet. The complex drainage network, featuring the Dillon Relaid Drain and Nye and Eaton Drainage, illustrates the long-standing efforts to manage the low-lying wetlands and creek bottoms for productive farming in this part of Michigan.