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1918 Map of Galesburg

Name: 1918 Topographic Map of Galesburg
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1918
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1918

About this map

Galesburg and the surrounding river valley are shown here just as the United States entered the Great War, with the newly established Camp Custer dominating the eastern landscape. This military presence transformed the rural character of Charleston and Bedford townships, bringing intensive development alongside the existing Michigan Central and Grand Trunk Western rail corridors. The Kalamazoo River serves as the primary geographical axis, while the Michigan Railway (Electric) provides a look at the short-lived interurban era connecting settlements like Augusta and Richland.

Resort life and agriculture are evident around Gull Lake, where lakeside communities like Highland Park and Midland Park contrast with the dense network of one-room schoolhouses such as Toad Hollow School and Bissel School. The map is a meticulous record of early 20th-century land use, from the "hogback" glacial ridges near Crooked Lake to the scattered country cemeteries like Bansfield Cemetery and Day Cemetery.