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1953 Map of Chesterton

Name: 1953 Topographic Map of Chesterton
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1955
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1955

About this map

The Little Calumet River valley anchors this mid-century view of Northern Indiana, where a dense network of transport lines converges at Chesterton and Porter. The landscape is defined by the heavy presence of rail infrastructure, including the New York Central, Chesapeake and Ohio, and Eastern lines, alongside the arterial routes of the Wabash and Baltimore and Ohio. This convergence supported a regional economy of mills and light industry, notably at Tratabas Mill on Salt Creek.

Away from the rail corridors, the terrain transitions into a patchwork of rural homesteads and lakefront developments. The southern section reveals a high concentration of water bodies such as Wauhob Lake, Mink Lake, and Flint Lake, which birthed local leisure communities like Burlington Beach and Blackhawk Beach. Genealogists will find several burial grounds and local schools, including St Patricks Cemetery, Kimball Cemetery, and the Liberty Center High School, documenting the community's mid-century growth.