1948 Map of Gobles

About this map

Gobles and the surrounding Van Buren County landscape appear as a dense network of small rural schools and glacial lakes in the years following World War II. The settlement at Mentha sits along the New York Central railroad line, while the southern portion of the map is defined by the winding course of the Paw Paw River and its branches. Notable infrastructure includes the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery and its associated Rearing Ponds near the Kalamazoo County line. The mapping reveals a highly localized social geography, where nearly every few square miles is anchored by a named schoolhouse, such as the Evergreen Sch, Austin Sch, or Old Pine Grove Sch. Scattered cemeteries like Robinson Cem and crossroad communities like Armstrong Corners provide specific points of interest for genealogists tracing family footprints through this agricultural and lake-rich terrain.