1959 Map of Cross Plains

About this map

Laughery Creek carves a winding path through the borderlands of Ripley, Dearborn, and Ohio counties, defining the complex topography of this southeastern Indiana landscape. The settlement at Cross Plains serves as a central hub, situated where Route 62 and Route 129 intersect. The map reveals a dense network of 19th-century rural infrastructure, including numerous family and church cemeteries like Beebe Cem and Nickolson Cem that point to generations of localized settlement. Ridges such as Poplar Ridge and Trot Ridge separate the various drainages, where small communities like Friendship and Olean are centered around local institutions. Cultural landmarks are frequent, ranging from the Township Sch near Avonburg to several houses of worship, including St Pauls Ch and the Bear Creek Ch. This 1959 survey records the region just before modern agricultural and residential shifts altered the historic patterns of these upland township communities.