Loading map...

1914 Map of Grand Rapids

Name: 1914 Topographic Map of Grand Rapids
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1943
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1943

About this map

The Grand River carves through the heart of the landscape, anchoring the industrial and residential grid of Grand Rapids before it stretches into the agricultural townships of Byron and Gaines. During this era of early twentieth-century growth, the city’s expansion is marked by the presence of the Old Fairground and John Ball Park, while an extensive Electric R R network and lines like the Pere Marquette connect the urban center to outlying communities such as Wyoming Park and Beverly.

South of the city, a dense network of country schoolhouses, including the Ross Hall School and Dodge School 786, serves a landscape dotted with small family-named water bodies like Hiltons Lake and Orissa Lake. The survey captures the transition from the concentrated masonry of the city to the rural character of Caledonia and Dutton, where local landmarks like the Games Church and Town Hall signify the civic foundations of these early Michigan settlements.