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1954 Map of Detroit

Name: 1954 Topographic Map of Detroit
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1954
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1954

About this map

The Detroit River serves as the international spine of this mid-century portrait, dividing the industrial heart of Detroit from Windsor and Sandwich West. The landscape is dominated by the massive rail networks of the Michigan Central and New York Central, which converge near Union Station and the Ambassador Bridge. Along the waterfront, the heavy industrial character is evident at Zug Island and the Shortcut Canal, while the city’s cultural core is anchored by Wayne University, the Institute of Arts, and Briggs Stadium.

Genealogists will find dense urban details, including dozens of neighborhood schools like Thirkell Sch and Sampson Sch, alongside significant burial grounds such as Mt Elliot Cemetery and Elmwood Cemetery. The map also captures the early footprint of the Edsel Ford Expressway as it began to reshape the city's surface streets. From the military grounds at Fort Wayne to the academic campus of Assumption College, the survey documents a period of peak industrial and civic development.