1959 Map of Goshen

About this map

Goshen serves as the industrial and academic heart of this late-1950s landscape, centered on the bend of the Elkhart River. The map details the dense urban core including Goshen College, the County Fairgrounds, and the New York Central rail corridor. Beyond the city limits, the river valley reveals a network of water management and smaller communities like Waterford Mills and Bainter Town. The importance of early settlement patterns is evident in the numerous burial grounds such as Elkhart Prairie Cem and Violett Cem. In the southeast, the village of Benton (BM 833) sits along the Wabash Railroad, where a Hydraulic Canal and drainage features like Boyer Ditch signify a heavily managed agricultural landscape. This survey documents the transition from a compact rail-and-river hub to a modernizing county seat, preserving the locations of rural schools like Rensberger Sch and Model Sch before later consolidation.