2022 Map of Fair Oaks

About this map

Fair Oaks serves as the primary settlement in this corner of the Indiana landscape, where the boundary between Newton Co and Jasper Co bisects the terrain. The map reveals an extensive and highly engineered drainage network that transformed this former marshland into productive agricultural territory. Named waterways like Beaver Lake Ditch, Mud Lake Ditch, and Templeton Ditch crisscross the township sections, signifying the massive 19th and 20th-century reclamation efforts that defined the Kankakee River basin region. Outside the concentrated hub of Fair Oaks, the area is characterized by a precise grid of rural roads and isolated farmsteads. Smaller landmarks, such as Fair Oaks Cemetery, provide critical reference points for local genealogists tracing family roots in this rural community. The concentration of ditches such as Hanley Ditch and Gregory Ditch illustrates the ongoing management of the water table necessary to maintain the local economy and infrastructure.