1972 Map of Elkhart

About this map

Agricultural lands north of Des Moines define this early 1970s landscape, where the grain-heavy economy of central Iowa is visible through a grid of section-line roads and strategic rail corridors. The Chicago and North Western railroad serves the settlement of Alleman, while the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific line runs through Elkhart. These two small hubs anchor a territory otherwise dominated by farmsteads and a network of named waterways including White Oak Creek, Fourmile Creek, and the South Skunk River in the northeast. Genealogy and local history are preserved in several locations, from the Keller Cem and Brethren Cem to the White Oak Ch. The map also captures modern infrastructure of the era, such as the newly established Ankeny Memorial Gardens and the presence of a Radio Tower and Sewage Disposal Pond, reflecting the gradual transition of this rural area.