Loading map...

1931 Map of Fennville

Name: 1931 Topographic Map of Fennville
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1931
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1931

About this map

The Kalamazoo River winds through this coastal landscape, meeting the shoreline at Saugatuck and Douglas where it forms Kalamazoo Lake. This 1928 survey captures a transition in Michigan's Lake Michigan coast, showing the development of resort and recreational sites like Camp Gray, Castle Park, and the Pottawattomie Gun Club alongside established farming communities. Inland, the landscape is defined by the Pere Marquette Road railway and the intricate drainage of the Rabbit River and Black River.

Genealogists and local historians will find a dense network of early 20th-century rural infrastructure, including numerous family-named schools such as Russcher Sch, Whitneyer Sch, and Belknap Sch. The map also preserves the location of Old Saugatuck near the river mouth and identifies specific agricultural landmarks like Campania Farm. This geography illustrates the early 20th-century balance between traditional rural life and the burgeoning coastal tourism industry.