2016 Map of Gifford

About this map

An intricate network of drainage channels across Jasper County defines this landscape, revealing the engineering required to manage the wetlands of Northern Indiana. The small settlements of Gifford and Newland serve as the primary human hubs in an area dominated by agricultural infrastructure and water management. Landmarks such as the Alley Oop Airport in the northeast and family-named burial grounds like Hershman Cem and Prater Cem offer tangible connections for genealogists and local historians. The map is particularly notable for its dense naming of local waterways, including the Stalbaum Hershman Ditch, Callahan Ditch, and Griggs Ditch. These numerous laterals and ditches, such as the Vanatta Lateral and Rich Grove Lateral, illustrate the complex system of siphoning water away from the fields, a process that has fundamentally shaped the region's land use and local geography.